


Untold; Into The Dark Of…

by phoenixjustice



Category: Death Note
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 06:57:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 41,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixjustice/pseuds/phoenixjustice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"…he's the only person who will ever be able to put you away, so why would you want to bring him back when he can potentially get you killed?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Deal with the Devil, or at least a God of Death

The past is gone…

The present is frozen in time…

The future looks bleak and unforgiving…

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

What had he done?

There had not been a worse moment for him, not even when he knew that everyone else knew that he was Kira. None of that mattered now…

L…he…

L…Lawliet…the top three detectives in the world…

Those dark eyes, the never fading shadows underneath them, looking at him as the light faded slowly from his eyes and Light, also Kira, felt his heart shatter into a thousand fragments that would never be able to mend back together again.

It had seemed right before; he had to stop L, the only person who would ever, could ever, be the one to catch him. There was no one else. No one else had the skill, the genius or the insight. The man was his equal in all things and that was what made him so very dangerous.

But this…it had all been planned, weeks and weeks and weeks and…everything had went on as he had planned…until Ryuuzaki was in his arms, looking up at him as the last breath left his body and those dark eyes became permanently extinguished.

He didn't even notice the tears falling down his own face until they fell onto L's face, rolling down his face in a morbid display of tears, as if L was crying out after the fact.

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ryuuzaki. I shouldn't be sorry, I_ _**should** _ _be sorry. I_ _**am** _ _sorry. Please. Please don't go away. Please stay. Please stay, Ryuuzaki. Stay, please…_

"…Please stay." His voice was quiet and hoarse.

He looks up and ignores the sounds of the detectives around him and L, unable to hear their words; he sees Ryuk standing there.

"You!" Had the detectives heard his outburst? It didn't matter; he didn't care. He felt empty inside now. "Change this!"

Ryuk shakes his head and walks past the detectives who seemed to be frozen in time, or merely moving slower than usual, he couldn't tell and didn't care.

"I am a God of Death, Light. I don't bring back people; I kill them. The same as you kill. Just like you killed him," pointing to L's limp and unseeing form cradled in his arms, voice mocking him in his next sentence. "Kira, God of a new age. Bringing righteous justice down on—"

"Shut up! _Shut up!_ "

The shinigami crosses his arms and looks down at him, his expression unreadable.

"You feel sorry now? A little late to have second thoughts, Light."

"Just shut up and help me!" Humility did not come, even when he begged Ryuk. "Please."

Ryuk uncrosses his arms and looks at him rather boredly, though it was hard to tell if that was what he actually felt.

"Why should I do that? What do you expect me to do? I have no obligation to bring back someone you killed just because you feel sorry that you killed him—"

"You said obligation, you didn't say that you couldn't do it! So you're a God of Death, but you can bring back someone can't you? Just like all Shinigami—you just don't. What would be the point after all? You have to kill people to gain their remaining years and bringing them back wouldn't give you anymore years unless you could kill them again and you wouldn't be able to…would you?"

"No," said Ryuk with a clipped voice. "All shinigami have the ability, but once we do—you can't kill them with a Death Note again, not even another's Death Note and another shinigami can't kill them either. Or anyone with a Death Note, for that matter. It serves no purpose so we've never done it before."

"But you can," he said almost desperately. "You can do it. Just do it."

Ryuk shakes his head. "I don't understand why you would want me to. You've wanted him out of the way for so long now; he's the only person who will ever be able to put you away, so why would you want to bring him back when he can potentially get you killed?"

"I know, but…" He looks down at L again and feels that indescribable emotion fill him again and make itself known. "I…care about him." It came as much a revelation to him as it did to the shinigami. "I…I think that I love him."

He gazes into L's face. Did he truly love him? And if so…how could he never have realized? The time spent with L…the looks…everything…He had focused on his own goals of a paradise that he never truly looked at his emotions, for what good would they serve him?

He had forgotten how to feel and because of that, he never realized what had formulated itself into his mind and his heart.

He jerks his head up at the suddenly laughter coming from the shinigami. Ryuk was holding his sides for a moment until he could pull himself together.

"What!?" he barked at the God of Death.

Ryuk wipes tears of laughter from his face, looking amused still.

"You in love; how the mighty Kira has fallen." mocked Ryuk.

The tears had dried from his eyes and he looks at Ryuk with a steady gaze, refusing to grab onto the piece of bait that Ryuk had laid out for whatever reason.

"Ryuk!"

"Fine, fine," the shinagami finally said, waving a hand at Light dismissively. "But I won't be doing this for nothing you know. If I'm going to bring back your precious Lawliet, then I want something in return."

Of course he did, Light didn't expect anything different.

If he wanted apples then Light would get him apples, would get a goddamned million apples if that was what it took. He could get them by the barrels if he wanted to; he would find a way.

But he didn't expect Ryuk to kneel down at look at him as intently as he did.

Or for the shinigami to lean in and kiss him.

He had felt surprise, but not disgust. He didn't expect that; it had not been part of his calculations or equations.

When Ryuk pulls back, his eyes were no longer the yellow with red that he had been used to seeing on the shinagami, but blue instead, completely blue.

"I'll take what I want another time, you won't know when." At this he grins, his eyes a deep blue that darkened slowly. "So you can just feel the anticipation until I decide when I want it…but for now…"

His gaze turns to L in Light's arms, the detectives forgotten, before turning back to the teenager.

"None of the shinigami has ever done something like this before, so I don't know what else will come of it; if anything. So try not to look too surprised."

At that Ryuk's eyes start to glow very brightly and at the same time, L's name in the Death Note starts to burn blue fire and burn off of the page, leaving the rest of the pages and book intact.

The whole of the room around them grows blindingly white for a long moment and Light could see nothing, not even the older man in his arms. Finally, the light dims down and Light blinks his eyes rapidly for a few moments.

When he could see clearly again, he noticed that Ryuk wasn't there any longer and the detectives were shaking their heads in confusion.

His head jerks down when he hears a quiet, but sharp, breath and sees L taking in a breath. He felt overwhelmed suddenly and filled with emotions that were so strong that they hurt. Unable to contain himself, he wraps his arms around the man and hugs him.

He felt L stiffen in surprise, but the man's hands start to tentatively hold onto him when a noise from one of the detectives causes L to pull away before he completes the motion and Light pulls away also.

Light didn't know what would happen now; L surely still remembered everything, but there had been no other alternative for Light; he had to have Ryuuzaki back, L, Lawliet, whatever…

"Are you alright, Ryuuzaki-san?" asked Matsuda.

L starts to stand, his posture as slouched as always and Light quickly stands as well, uncertainty warring within him.

"I am fine," said L in his usual monotonic voice. He turns to glance at Light. "I must have been quite tired if I passed out. And you caught me, Light-kun. I must thank you for that."

Light felt his eyes widen and almost thought he heard Ryuk laughing somewhere.

 


	2. Sugary Tricks and Reflection

L stared at him, foot scratching his leg, posture as slouched as usual, looking at him with a look of almost concern on his usually expressionless face. The detectives in the room were also looking at him concern the same way they were looking at L.

He felt almost as shaken as he did when Lawliet had died in his arms only moments earlier. He then remembered what Ryuk had said; "None of the shinagami has ever done something like this before, so I don't know what else will come of it; if anything. So try not to look too surprised."

He schools his expression carefully, not wanting to give L more than he wanted him to know; this time a matter of love rather than a matter of being Kira, showing concern now but not the total shock as he looked at Ryuuzaki.

What had the older man said to him? "I must have been quite tired if I passed out. And you caught me, Light-kun. I must thank you for that." And from the expressions of the other detectives in the room, the young genius came to a conclusion; they didn't remember anything that happened moments earlier.

A side effect of Ryuk invoking a power that no shinigami had ever used before? It would be nice to know why it would just effect what had happened moments earlier and only to L and the other detectives, not himself. Had the memory loss happened when L's name had been forcibly removed from the Death Note? Would there be any consequences for Ryuk for using that power when no other shinigami did before? And when Ryuk would want to get his 'prize' from Light for bringing back Lawliet for him.

There were too many questions and not nearly enough answers and Light hated that fact, didn't like it at all. He realizes that they were all still staring at him. "It was…no problem, Ryuuzaki." He said after a short pause.

And it was true; it had been a decision that had to be done once he realized that he was in love with the older detective, his greatest nemesis and only true friend, the only one who could bring him down, the only person who was on his level, no one else could even come a little close.

He had been in love with L for quite sometime and had never ever realized it either. Too focused on his goals for a better world which he could rule, he had never noticed until Ryuuzaki, L, Lawliet, whoever, was lying cold and dead in his arms. Now said person was alive and back to his usual vacant expression, weird way of sitting and holding things, sugar fiend, which made up the whole of the man who was the world's top three detectives.

He may not have to face the consequences now of being Kira, but he may have to in the future, having L brought back could very seriously compromise what he was trying to accomplish. But he would do it again; there was no possible way he couldn't.

The path that had been ahead of him had been through many bumpy detours, but he had never faltered. Until now at least; his one moment of weakness, ironically enough, came when he had accomplished his long awaited goal, to defeat L, his only opponent and the only person he ever had to truly worry about figuring out that he was Kira, or, in L's case, _know_ that he was Kira and was trying to find all the evidence which would point itself to him.

Why did he have to fall in love with the worse possible person at the same time it was the best? Why did the only person who could stimulate and challenge him intellectually, was also the one person who could catch him, catch Kira. The one who was so determined to take Kira down for his own kind of justice.

Fate was a sick and twisted thing; he wondered if everyone else knew how cruel fate really was, an evil bitch indeed.

He comes out of his reverie quickly, not wanting to cause anymore undue alarm, very glad in the fact that none in the room, save himself, now remember what had happened minutes earlier.

The day went on more smoothly after that, at least when L sat down (in his usual manner of sitting) and started to eat a plateful of cookies that Watari seemed to bring out of nowhere. The detectives all stared for a moment at L, then Light, then each other, before taking their seats and grabbing random files on the floor that had gotten scattered.

Light takes a seat as well, which was close enough to L that it made him try to look as inconspicuous as possible while he kept taking brief glances at the older man, who was now putting an obscene amount of sugar cubes into a cup of coffee that Watari handed to him.

L looked the same as he ever and didn't look to keel over anytime soon. It wasn't like Light would be writing his name in the Death Note anytime soon. He wasn't sure what to think about these newly awakened feelings within him. Not used to such strong emotions as what he had felt when he seen L die and the feelings that he was feeling now. He had never really saw people as people before, not until he met L and for the first time felt truly alive.

He really did see other people the same way, not truly as people, but like the animals they were supposed to be better than, though they acted just as brutal (and sometimes more brutal than) as animals, like Misa and didn't think he would immediately anyway; finding love or not.

It was such an absurd notion, love, and it was something he always scoffed at, still probably would, he just happened to feel the same as other people did, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by him, considering he believed himself to be above all of the masses, above all of that.

To see that he wasn't was…unsettling.

He startles suddenly when a cup of coffee gets thrust at him by L, plucking at the file, which Light had just been staring at blankly, with two fingers.

"Light-kun could use something to drink; he still looks a bit shaken. I'm sorry if I startled you when I unfortunately collapsed." said L, looking at him and speaking as always in that monotonous voice of his.

He accepts the cup and looks down into its murky contents, glancing to see L taking another cup of coffee, his earlier one, Light presumed and started to drink. Light blows on the hot surface of the coffee for a moment before taking a drink. He inhales quickly as the overwhelming taste of sugar invades his senses and he coughs, sputtering out the coffee that didn't go down in a hurry.

"Hmm," stated L. "Perhaps I didn't add enough sugar."

If he didn't know that he loved L, then he would have said that the world's top three detectives would be in a world of hurt.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After dealing with some files and work for awhile, the day started to steadily grow darker and after awhile everyone started filing out, other than Light and L of course. Light had chosen to stay here indefinitely until his name could be cleared from being Kira, even though he was truly Kira.

His eyes started to droop as it grew very late, unable to keep his eyes open any longer, even with all the caffeinated drinks that L kept around, or even L himself. It just felt too long since he had truly had a good night's sleep, L or Kira or any of that stuff, or not.

He curls up in his chair and tries to find a comfortable position, laying his head on his arm, to sleep in but is unable to get comfortable. He doesn't say anything though, for a few reasons. For one, he knew that it would get him nowhere as L would stay up doing more work regardless of what Light would/could say (unless, maybe, it was a confession of being Kira) and Light would just have to wait until L was damn well ready, no matter how much that irked him.

Another thing was L himself and Light's own newly realized feelings. He wanted to…he wasn't sure exactly...something. Maybe not get that irritated look (it might have not been noticeable to other people, but he could tell) from L as he asked to be able to lay down on the bed and sleep.

What he didn't expect was to be jostled from his half-non sleep by L. He opens his eyes and sees L looking at him thoughtfully, having gotten up out of his own chair without Light even realizing it.

"You look quite tired, Light-kun," stated L. "It seems that the long days bother you more than I thought. I should have expected that you would have different sleep habits than mine…"

Light was trying to figure out what to say to this when L grabs onto his hand, surprising Light with the warmth that it held.

"Let's go to bed, Light-kun." He said with a warm tone in his voice, further shocking the younger man.

Light finds himself nodding, even if it was and wasn't what he wanted. He was tired, but parts of him were coming to life under that small touch from the man.

He gets pulled up by L and lets himself be led by Lawliet into the room. He wasn't sure what would happen now, or what he himself would do or be, and Ryuk's price was still there for whenever the shinigami wanted it.

But for now, he lets all of these things go, and as the door closes, he likes to think of it as a signification of his past being left behind and just lets himself smile.

 


	3. Surprises

He awakens to feel himself getting prodded in the side by a persistent finger. Light opens his eyes blurrily and blinks at the rapidly clearing sight of L Lawliet crouched over him, wide eyes and all, poking him in the side with a finger.

The close proximity of the world's top three detectives served to wake him up—in more ways than one. He feels a blush goes up his face, but L looks blessedly unaware, though he probably wouldn't keep looking so unaware if he moved forward a bit.

"I'm up, Ryuuzaki," muttered Light. "So I would appreciate it if you would…remove yourself from me, if you would."

L says nothing, but nods and moves away (almost slowly, if Light had actually thought about it) and Light has to hold back a shiver as the lanky detective's form moves off of him. And it was only when he started following L into the living room, that he actually really thought about what his consequences could be. It seemed like a good probability that none of them, including L, remembered what happened when L got resurrected, save Light and Ryuk of course. But L had made no mention of Watari, who had died only a very short time before L did, and there also seemed to be no sign of Rem.

Rem had finally given into Light's demands and had written both Watari's name (which he still didn't know yet) and L's. The female shinigami had only given in because she wanted to protect Misa. Light couldn't have cared less (and still didn't care) about Misa, but he used Rem's attachment to her to get the shinigami to do what he wanted.

Light had always been able to manipulate everyone and everything around him; save one.

And that one thing was walking slouched in front of him.

As they enter the living room, his quick mind lets him notice a few facts straight away. For one thing, all the detectives (save for his father, who was still dead, apparently) did not look at him in any strange or off way, letting him know that they truly did not remember the events from the night before. Then as L goes and sits crouched in his chair as per usual, a factor that Light had not expected (though he didn't exactly expect a lot of things in these sorts of circumstances); Watari comes filing out of the other back room and walks over to L and bends down to whisper something in his ear.

So…Watari was still alive too? This confuses Light and he does not like the feeling. He had asked for L Lawliet back, not Quillsh Wammy. And 'Watari' had died moments before L did. So why was he alive as well? Light pondered on it while L spoke the older gentleman. He supposed it was possible that other things could happen as a result of Ryuk's intervention.

It was, as Ryuk said, a power that Shinigami had never invoked; for what purpose would it serve them? It was a waiting game now, to see what else could or might be able to, happen. When Light is about to sit down, Watari straightens up and walks away, as he does so, L immediately stands.

"You need to follow me, Light-kun." said L. "I think there is something that you need to see as much as I do."

Curious, Light stands and does as L says and follows him into the other room. He remembered it previously; this room was where Watari did whatever it was he did, it was the room where the older man died, where the man had erased all the data on his computers leaving L's many computers in the main room to flash with ALL DATA DELETED and then…moments later…a fallen L and leaving him with an anguish that he did not expect and realizes that he was in love with the only person who could put him away, all in the name of justice.

Well, they both had justice. He and Lawliet, Kira and L. Both wanted to shape the face of the world and Light had the sneaking suspicion that if other people, leaders of the world, had backed his cause immediately, then perhaps L might not act as hard as he did on wanting to catch Kira.

Then again, he may perhaps anyway; the man was such a hard book to read, even for a genius such as Light Yagami.

As they come to stand in the middle of the room, something on the floor caught his attention and it was apparently the same thing that L was coming in the room to see as well, for he was crouching down, thumb in mouth and looks at it.

In the midst of a pile of dust, there was a Death Note.

And Light knew the pile of dust to be Rem.

Light takes a step forward and kneels down, though not in the same fashion as L, watching as L picks up the Death Note with two fingers.

"Hmm…this may give us a clue." He turns to Light and when he speaks, it is actually rather briskly for him. "Light-kun, I need to look over this as there is a 69 chance that this is linked to the second Kira. I need for you to go out and get a safety deposit box at the nearest bank from here and follow everything that you will find. Can you do that for me?"

Light was rather surprised that L deemed him worthy enough to be out of his eyesight longer than a few minutes and for what seemed rather important. Though he also suspected that L wanted Light out of his own hair for whatever it was he wanted to do, with the Death Note no doubt, and although whatever L was sending him to might indeed be important, it also got Light away for an undetermined amount of time. He wondered if his Kira would increase if he said yes, he rather expected it to go up either way it went, though he wished it would not. But there was no stopping the unmovable force that was L Lawliet, not even Death. (Though that was only because of Light)

"I…of course I will do as you ask, Ryuuzaki," said Light, calmly. "But I must confess surprise that you don't mind me leaving on my own for a time. Though I am grateful, all the same, to some fresh air and exercise."

L looks at him with his wide eyes unblinking, Death Note still held with two of his fingers.

"The…percentage of you being Kira or not, cannot yet be determined, until you get back that is." stated L.

Light nods minutely and stands up, dusting off non-existent lint off of his clothes and looks into L's eyes as he stands up, for once standing up to his full height instead of slouching; for when L stood straight up, they were the exact same height.

"And perhaps I have been…too strict in my urgency in my hunt for Kira." Considering the things L had put him through before, that wasn't a lie. "If I strict you—or other suspects who could be Kira—" Was he just talking about Misa, or in general? "Then I may just have things backfire and not get the satisfactory results which I am…searching for."

L looks down for a moment and allows Light a glimpse of the man who was more than just the machine that people thought he was, who maybe he even thought himself to be.

It seemed like that Light wasn't the only person who had forgotten how to feel anything.

Perhaps they could both show each other what it was like to feel again.

 


	4. L's pondering and Light's run-in

The air felt nice, though a bit cold. Light was glad to get out and stretch his legs, to be able to take some time and think, without having to worry about L Lawliet over his shoulder. He may have been in love with the man, but the same man was also on the hunt for Kira and the only person capable of the kind of reasoning that might just catch Light Yagami, who was undoubtedly Kira.

He wondered what L was doing now; what sort of deductive reasoning the man was doing right now. He also wondered if L was thinking about Higuchi, the third Kira and perhaps the similarities between him and the second Kira. Hell, he was probably thinking about all THREE of the Kira's and how they were connected perhaps. He would have to look into that himself; to make sure that 'Ryuuzaki' didn't come too close to the truth.

Even though he had not come to a conclusion on his own state as Kira and what he could/would do, that didn't mean he still didn't have to be vigilant; L could still catch him and execute him. All before he knew of what Light felt for him, before he could figure out everything that he needed to.

Because the world had a smiling facade that was breaking at the seams, crumbling like the ashes of Rem into nothingness. There was so much violence in the world. Rape, murder, brutal violence and terrorism. He had just wanted to protect the world from itself; to keep the truly good people out of harms way. Apparently wanting to protect the good of humanity was evil. Who knew?

There were things that Light still needed to take care of, and he wasn't sure of many things right now. Should he go ahead and kill Higuchi? If they were closing in on him, he could spill Light's secrets, before Light could do or say anything.

He felt confused on what he should do and hated the feeling utterly.

The sun beamed down, making bright reflections glitter off of the windows of the towering buildings, glaring into Light's eyes and making him blink rapidly. People passed to and fro, some looking nervous, some looking over their shoulders, but most were looking at ease with the world, letting Light know that these people were the good ones, unafraid because Kira was out there, spreading righteous justice and protecting those who deserved to be protected.

Was it so wrong to feel relief at being able to walk the streets without worrying about being mugged, raped, or murdered?

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He looked at the Death Note held between his forefinger and thumb. The simple looking notebook was the cause of so many murders. It also was, he knew, the link that proved that there were three Kira's. He didn't think it belonged to the original Kira, for he believed that position to be Light Yagami, and he knew that someone as genius as Light, who he could say, without any sort of pride involved, was equally as smart as he himself was, would not just let something as valuable as the Death Note, to just be lying around.

So there was Light Yagami, the original Kira, along with two others. There were a few suspects running around but he had dismissed almost all of them immediately. Besides Light, there were a couple that stood out; a man named Higuchi and a famous girl named Misa Amane. Misa, from what he could gather, seemed to like Light a great deal.

He frowns and turned his ever turning thoughts to the other suspect instead of that train of thought; for it led nowhere he wanted to see right now.

There had been also been several new murders, which did not fit the description of the earlier Kira murders; murders on things like money laundering, corporate executives, all whose crimes were nowhere near the caliber that the First Kira and Second Kira went after. Though there were deaths that were attributed to the first two Kira's that were on innocent people, from the evidence gathered, some were just in the way, trying to catch Kira, the killer.

Such as the twelve F.B.I agents that had come into Japan to help in the investigation. Raye Pembar, Naomi Misora…dead for the simple reason that they were interfering with one who was 'justice', who wanted to shape the face of the world.

He nibbled on his free thumb as he continues to think, crouching in his usual chair. The other detectives were dutifully doing work around him and Watari was doing things of his own in his room, leaving L (with a plateful of sweets before he went in there) to gather up all the thoughts that had wanted to stray as of late.

He inwardly sighs and moves the Death Note onto the table directly in front of him. He sees Matsuda glancing at him, but ignores him. There was something that he wasn't seeing that he needed to see, but he wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for and that frustrated him to no end.

He stares at the Death Note, willing it to speak to his brain and feed him the information that he so desperately sought, both consciously and unconsciously. Something seems to kick start a stray thought in his head and he picks up the Death Note again. He opens it up and starts to glance at the pages before suddenly tossing it at Matsuda, who was closest to him and who looks rather startled.

"Ryuuzaki-san! What…"

"Matsuda," he says, ignoring the bewildered detective's exclamation. "I would like you and Mogi to go over the list of victims and see if any of the names of the Kira victims are in this Death Note. I would also like you two to compile a list of those individuals who are in the Death Note we have and those who aren't. There is a 97 percent probability that there are three Kira's that we are dealing with, and an 87 percent chance that all three have Death Notes, or did once."

After saying that, he grabs onto a chocolate-chip cookie and takes a bite, licking the excess chocolate from the side of his lips. He closes his eyes and savors the taste as it rolls onto his tongue, his mind drifting a bit, and not exactly with his permission, either, and thinks of a certain Kira suspect and wondering what he was doing in that exact moment; was he where he needed to be yet?

Light-kun…

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He takes a shortcut through an alleyway, keeping his hands thrust into his pockets, as it was now considerably colder than it was when he left the hotel building. He tried to keep his mind free and clear for once; he couldn't always be thinking about Kira, or L, or everyone trying to catch him, or even the world; sometimes he had just to let go and _just_ be Light Yagami for a time; a Light Yagami who didn't have nightmares about being killed, or L dying in front of his eyes. Didn't have to dream of the world crumbling in front of his face because he had been caught, didn't have to worry about the investigation or anything else.

He could just _be_.

Even he needed that, sometimes.

He was nearly out of the alley when a shadow suddenly darts out and blocks the light in front of him, causing him to look up.

It was Ryuk.

The Shinigami grins at him and Light wondered a few things in that moment; one was the question of where the Shinigami had been (after all, how far could he go?), and another brought him back to what Ryuk had asked for, in return for bringing back L Lawliet, and the last one was…what had happened to Ryuk?!

The Shinigami known as Ryuk did not look the same as he did before. For one thing, the Shinigami's eyes were blue, not the red that he had always had. The same kind of blue that they had glowed when he was bringing back L, in fact, and the eyes were...normal looking; like a humans. And that wasn't the only thing that looked more human looking.

Although everything else was exactly the same on the Shinigami (other than the eyes), Ryuk's face was like a humans, other than the skin color was the same as before, as well as the hair. He actually looked…normal. More than that, he actually looked…pretty good.

This was another unforeseen thing in Light's life, when one had already been too much. He liked puzzles, sure, but there were only so many before it bothered a person, even one such as him.

Ryuk grins again; this time a little self-deprecatingly.

"Apparently I had to pay a price as well," said Ryuk, the wings on his back receding. "And this is the most fitting punishment for a Shinigami; forced to wear the guise of those we kill, those who are 'insignificant' next to 'Gods of Death'." He barks out a laugh. "I guess this is better than what happened to Rem; though. Even if I _did_ lose the Shinigami eyes…"

"You—" started Light.

Ryuk shrugs. "If I had to put on the face of a human, then I couldn't very well have the Shinigami eyes, could I? So now I am as blind as you; when it comes to a needing a name and a face. I don't know if you'd be able to take the deal of the Shinigami eyes from me now, and I guess we won't know, since you and I both know you'd never ask for them."

Light was trying to digest all of this, when Ryuk leans in, his hot breath over Light's face.

"Now…" Ryuk purred. "I believe I asked you for something in exchange for bringing back your precious, Lawliet. Now, Light, I believe you can give it to me…"

 


	5. Loose Ends That Start To Meet

\-----Mihael Keehl and Nate River had both been orphans at a young age, extremely bright for their ages, one of them being quite emotional, while the other was colder. They were put into the Wammy House and left their old names behind for the names Mello and Near.

Both looked up to 'L' for as long as they could remember and both respected him over anyone else, save Mr. Wammy perhaps. The boys were similar in many ways, and different in others.

Both were vying for the position of 'L'; to be L's successor.

Mello loved chocolate and hated Near. Well, that wasn't entirely true; but he always hated how he was second best to Near; Near who was so cold, always doing things alone, those stupid puzzles and things of his, giving Mello the cold shoulder almost always.

Mello hated Near because he… _liked_ him. And he hated that he did. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if Near actually acted like a halfway decent human being occasionally and show some damned emotion. So maybe he was too emotional (so said a few people), but at least he wasn't a robot like Near was.

Near noticed nothing and no one unless he saw fit; so maybe that was why he would act the way he did, maybe then Near would actually see him.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, nibbling absently on a bar of chocolate while walking down the darkened hallway; it was getting late and most everyone was already asleep. His shirt rustles slightly everytime he moves his arm up and down to take a bite of the chocolate. As he starts to turn the corner he bumps into something, or rather, into a body.

He takes a step back and prepares to scowl at whoever it was; he stops when he sees it was Near. He tries to scowl at him, pretending (as usual) that he didn't care for Near or what he was doing, but he stops short at the expression in Near's eyes, for he had never seen an equal look in them; _ever_.

"L wants us to work on the Kira case with him." said Near, looking Mello directly in the eyes, something he rarely did.

He could feel his eyes grow big and a sound works its way out of his throat.

"…L! Are you—are you sure?" he had to ask; he doubted that Near was wrong, because he was _never_ wrong, but when it came to something like this…

"100 percent positive, without a doubt."

Something in Mello seems to break free when he actually sees what he never thought he would; Near's eyes glowed and he was actually smiling at him! His heart constricted in his chest and the next thing he knew, he was embracing the younger boy, his chocolate bar falling to the ground, hearing but not hearing Near make a sound as he did so.

"To work with L!" murmured Mello.

And the strangest thing happened…Near embraced him back. -----

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Light feels his eyes grow wide and he takes an instinctive step back. He knew that Ryuk would exact his price eventually; he just didn't think it would be so soon!

He stops as soon as Ryuk starts to laugh quite intensely for a few moments and blinks in confusion. Finally Ryuk stops laughing and turns to look at Light, wiping tears of mirth from his new face.

"Your face! Hyuk, hyuk!" said Ryuk, grinning still. "You never fail to amuse me Light. I guess you can't tell when I'm _kidding_ ; you don't need to act so serious all the time. I said I wanted to wait, make you squirm. I'll let you go to your precious Lawliet unspoiled; because I want to see where things go; Shinigami don't have the same kind of drives that humans do. I can wait awhile without it being a problem." Except when it came to apples, apparently. "Most Shinigami don't have sex and with the way some of them look; I don't blame them."

Light recovers remarkably quickly and composes himself, shaking his head at the Shinigami's antics, for Ryuk also never failed to bring him entertainment.

"Well, if you're done teasing me, Ryuk, then I need to get going." said Light, remembering just who sent him out here and why.

He pulls a small piece of paper out of his pocket and looks at it.

"There's something that Lawliet wanted me to do…"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

\----- "Oh, before you go Light-kun," said L, shuffling over to him and pulling a small folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it over to Light. "You will need this if you want to accomplish anything. It will tell you everything you need to know." -----

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

He finally gets to the building that L had asked him to go to and wondered if it was coincidence that it was so close to the Yotsuba building, which was only a few buildings away. He shrugs it off and walks inside, Ryuk gliding in the air behind him. He glances at the Shinigami as Ryuk takes a look around.

While he was glad that he didn't have to do anything with the Shinigami yet, he also didn't want Ryuk suddenly coming around and demanding what he wanted when he was getting closer to Ryuuzaki. If he could get that close, anyway.

There was quite a line at the counter so he moves to find a quiet space in the corner to sit down, thankful that it was shaded by a couple of plants and no one else was near, so he could speak to Ryuk. He takes a seat and looks to the Shinigami who sits across from him.

"Ryuk, there is something I've been wondering. Just where have you been all this time?" he asks the Shinigami. "I see what happened to you, but…"

Ryuk scratches his head for a few moments before stopping to look at Light. "I was in the Shinigami realm. In the Shinigami realm, there are offenses that you can be punished for. In all actuality, when I got sent before the Shinigami King, I expected to be killed. But he just kind of laughed, said that I had done a naughty thing and said that if I liked humans so much, then I could now look at one everyday in the mirror; and he did this," pointing to his face. "To me."

That interested Light. "Shinigami King? So there's a person who rules over you all?"

Ryuk nods. "Yeah; he's the one we all get the Death Notes from, though I'm not sure where he gets them, or makes them or whatever."

The line finally starts to clear out after awhile and Light makes his way up to the counter, turning the piece of paper he had gotten from L and showing it to the lady who was working. Her eyes widen and she apparently understood what it meant, for she types up some things on her computer, speaking quietly into a phone as she does so, before handing out a handwritten piece of paper and handing it to Light.

It read;

\---Go inside elevator to the right and there will be an elevator attendant inside, when you enter the elevator and the doors are securely closed, say the phrase "I speak not but the truth, in the name of Justice."

He glances at the young woman, short blonde hair and blue eyes; a foreigner, looking to be American, someone he had never seen before. He briefly nods and moves away from the counter towards the elevators in the back.

"All this trouble; whatever L's keeping hidden must be awfully important. Hyuk, hyuk." Ryuk said.

Light didn't answer; it was too dangerous to keep speaking to the Shinigami now, when there were more people around. It looked too suspicious, and he wanted to keep suspicions about him to a minimum, if he couldn't make them nonexistent.

"Oh, yeah, you can't speak to me when there are so many people in public. I hate that."

Light gives a swift nod, letting Ryuk know that he heard him and understood, but from the way he did it, no one would think anything of it. He finally reaches the elevator and pushes the button, trying to keep from tapping his foot impatiently as he waited. It opens up and just as the note had said, there was an elevator attendant (a tall and slim man with short black hair and of Japanese decent) waiting inside.

When the doors close securely, he speaks.

"I speak not but the truth, in the name of Justice."

He turns to look at the attendant who looks at him, nodding and removes a small little box and turns his back to Light briefly, apparently unlocking it. Once he does so, he turns back to Light and opens it up, removing a small sheet of paper from the inside.

It read;

\--- Box number 19, once you receive what's inside the box, the code is 'Passion, cold, overemotional. The final bells of Justice will sound.' ---

There was another code at the bottom of this one which said;

\--- Do not use/speak this code until using the one above and receiving confirmation; you will hear the phrase 'But the evil cannot be made into good.' And then your code will be 'Justice will always prevail.'---

He nods to the attendant who returns it and moves back to his original position and staying silent. The ride didn't take overly long, but all the same Light was itching to get out of it and to the safety deposit box which he knew L held onto for an important reason.

He was surprised that L trusted him with something that seemed so valuable, and he didn't sense any ulterior motive from the detective; and he was good and sensing that sort of thing from him. So he felt pleased; perhaps his feelings for L Lawliet weren't as one-sided as he thought? A bit of a leap of faith, but either way, it was a start.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

He idly nibbles on a piece of cake, looking over the case files of Higuchi and Hatori. There was a very high percentage that the Third Kira was one of these two men, he had eliminated the other Light had suggested after receiving information from Wedy only moments earlier. The surveillance of Suguru Shimura turned up nothing that would suggest him being the Third Kira, in fact the only thing that remotely interesting about the man (other than the fact that he was using dirty business tactics and helping along the unknown Third Kira to save his own skin) was that he was having an affair with one of his business associates. A male one, in fact; a married one.

But the fact was that the man lacked the brain power to be the Third Kira, for this new Kira was quite cunning and smart, even if he wasn't as smart as L or the First Kira. So one of the two he was looking at would be the Third Kira that they were looking for. Looking over at Hatori's file, he could see that the man had the means, but from the Yotsuba group's last meeting, and from Hatori's admission of wanting to leave the group, he judged that there was a 66 percent chance that the man was telling the truth and wasn't the Third Kira. There was still a 34 percent chance that he was, but L felt pretty certain that although the man had the means and ability to do these new killings, he rather doubted that this was the man.

Light had chosen well for who could be the new Kira, but L felt fairly certain that Hatori was not the Third Kira. Even though Hatori was the bastard offspring of the CEO of Yotsuba, he was also a smart business man and making headway in the company and he also had quite a bit of money, more than most of the group of 8 he was apart of at the moment.

L hypothesized that the Third Kira was a greedy man, trying to hoard everything for himself, like the mythical dragons who took all the gold and treasure, taking it to their caves and hoarding it for themselves. Higuchi definitely fit the build for the greedy type that the Third Kira was, in everyway. So much so that it actually made L doubt that he _was_ the Third Kira, because it seemed a little too easy.

And there was still that 34 percent chance that Hatori was the Third Kira, so he would be watchful of both of them, watchful of ALL of them, up until he was 100 percent sure who the Third Kira was. And when Light-kun returned, then they could go over some more work and do surveillance until the Yotsuba group decided to meet again. He felt pretty certain that they would learn something they needed to hear.

Quite certain.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The guard in front of the door lets him through immediately once he shows the note that he had gotten from the elevator attendant. The door closes loudly behind him and the vault which held the safety deposit boxes was quite cold, and quite large. But everything was in numerical order, and there wouldn't be any boxes of the same name, he was sure.

Now it was time to see just what L had hidden.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Eyes flutter open and look around confusedly. They look up and widen as they see what's in front of them.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Rem; I wondered if you would ever awaken again."

The Shinigami King! But she was...she had written in her Death Note for Light Yagami to protect Misa! She felt herself die! But she was…she didn't understand. She moves from her position on all fours to a more respectful kneeling position. She felt very confused, but she wasn't about to complain about it. Unless something happened to Light Yagami and/or Misa…?

"I know what you are thinking, Shinigami Rem." said the Shinigami King. He sat in his usual position in his throne and looks down at her with his black eyes. "And I will tell you that both 'Kira' and the 'Second Kira' are both alive and well."

So Misa was still alive!

"And obviously as are you."

Rem got up the courage to ask; "But, if I may ask…just how…was—was it you, who…?"

The Death King shakes his head and looks at her with an amused look in his gaze.

"My dear Rem, of course not; you used the Death Note for a human you loved so you had to die; those are the rules. But our little friend Ryuk happened to know about a very old rule that I thought everyone had forgotten about; after all, most of the Shinigami who knew it have all died, so I believed that it had been forgotten; I was wrong." said the Death King. "And do you know which rule Ryuk has broken?"

Rem shakes her head. There were many rules for the Shinigami and many were forgotten by the majority of the Gods of Death, she was one of the few who knew them all (or at least, she thought she did) and wondered just what Ryuk could know that she didn't; he had after all, asked her about many of the rules that he himself did not know.

"To do that which is never done by a God of Death; to bring back someone from Death."

She felt her eyes widen again. Bring back…! She knew that rule, as she knew the others, but she had never heard of it being invoked or being able to work. But just how and why was it used? Who would _Ryuk_ use it on after all?

"I just sent him away, after punishing him for it, of course. I found that killing him was not the solution, so I gave him a fitting punishment instead." said the Shinigami King. He grins suddenly at her. "I of course had to punish you as well, after you had been brought back. You used your Death Note out of love for a human, after all. Though don't give me the credit for bringing you back; that was all Ryuk. A side-effect of bringing back L Lawliet for Light Yagami; it seems like the death of Lawliet, and subsequent resurrection, was connected to many things. So you are alive, as is that man known to some of them as 'Watari'."

She absorbed all of this information remarkably well, though something the Death King said was a bit odd to her.

"…Punish me? You have already…?"

Suddenly the Death King throws a cracked mirror at her which she catches.

"Look at it, Rem and see the fitting punishment for one who loves a human."

She looks into the mirror and lets out a gasp at what she sees.

The Death King's grin widens.

"More of your body has changed as well; I didn't have to change as much for Ryuk. I find this fitting for a Shinigami who disobeys and loves a human. Originally I was going to kill Ryuk, and then once you were brought back, I was going to kill you. But after I thought about it, I realized…"

His wide black eyes look deep into hers.

"…that I have been bored too; the same as Ryuk and Light Yagami. I am ready to see what the human realm offers for entertainment; and you are going to go back and provide me with some more."

Before she could reply, she felt the ground underneath her disappear and she falls through the Void, turning around and seeing the human world come closer and closer as she falls.

She falls into the human world.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

\-----He looks over his companion in the seat next to him, deep asleep and sitting awkwardly in his seat. He smiles gently, glad that the other was asleep and couldn't see it, so he couldn't comment on it. He blinks when his companion's head suddenly moves and falls onto his shoulder.

He smiles again.

It seemed that Near could at least be vulnerable when he was sleeping. -----

 


	6. Not What Was Expected

He gets up to number 19 and removes a small silver key that had previously been attached to the paper that L had given to him. It was unadorned and quite inconspicuous looking; the exact thing that Lawliet would be looking for when it came to something so important; he didn't want anything too obvious, for that would give it away much too easy.

He removes the box from the slot, seeing that the metal container was actually quite small, easily fitting in his hands without any problem. Light wondered just what was so important that could be so small. Knowing Lawliet like he did, it could be anything. The man could latch onto the smallest thing and figure it out. Finally he had an equal who made life worth living again, not only because he was in love with the man, but also because L's hunt for Kira and Light's own determination to prove his innocence, made for the most exciting time that he could ever remember having.

The room he was in was quite large and very cold, he supposed that the drop in temperature was to help protect certain items such as documents and the like. There was two tables that he could see, one next to him and the other on the opposite side of the room, a long hallway started at the left corner of the room, twisting around to where Light could no longer see. The tables were a simple silver, fairly long and he sets the box on the table next to him. The tables made for convience for whoever came down here, so they could take a look at what they needed, that way they didn't have to take anything they didn't need.

He grabs onto the lock on the box and inserts the key, twisting it with ease and the box unlocks. Quite simple. It may have seemed too simple, but Light knew that L had made quite sure that no one would just be able to get into the box, the notes that Light had gotten (first from L and then from that lady and elevator attendant) was another measure, and there was probably much more than that. He estimated that L had also taken measures that Light could not see.

With a quick sweep around the room with his eyes, he could not see any cameras, but that didn't mean that there weren't anyway. He knew there had to be some somewhere in the room, even if they were just the usual ones planted inside by the company for security measures. And he knew that there was a VERY strong possibility that L himself had cameras of his own inside this room, to keep an eye out on Light and just in the off chance that someone else tried to get into his security box. There was probably many actions the man could take if someone tried to open his box by force.

Luckily, Light had gotten the key and note from the man and wouldn't have to worry about that. Probably. It was so hard to tell with the man. He was in love with Lawliet, but L didn't know that (he was pretty sure on that) and L still suspected him of being Kira (he was VERY sure on that). He opens the box with a slight feeling of trepidation and peers down at the contents.

His eyebrows raise in surprise.

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\----- He groans when his last Pokemon gets knocked out by Steven's Metagross. "Damn it all!" he mutters. He gets a nasty look from the person sitting next to him in the cramped seats, but he could care less. He pushes his goggles up on his head and glares at the start screen for Pokemon Ruby. Stupid Meteor Mash attack. His Blaziken was about to Fire Blast his ass too!

He glances at the curtain divider that held back coach from First Class and glares at it. Why'd he get stuck in coach when Mello and Near got First Class anyway? L knew that he was very smart too, or he wouldn't have sent him as well. It was probably because Mello and Near were the top two students in Wammy's House and were both in line to become the next 'L'.

He sighs and starts his game from the last save point.

This time Steven's ass was grass! -----

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\----- Mello glances at the curtain divider between First Class and Coach, almost feeling as if he was being watched, which he knew he wasn't, and smirks a bit. He loved Matt to death, his best friend, but he didn't envy having to sit in the cramped seats. But knowing Matt, as he very well did, he was probably just playing some Pokemon on his GBA to pass the time, sometimes he didn't even notice stuff around him when he was playing his games...

"Fucking hell!!"

...and if the cursing was any indication, then he was getting his ass handed to him.

"You fucking son of a bitch, your ass is fucking mine, you fucking asshole!"

He gets startled a bit when he suddenly feels Near's head move off of his shoulder and looks up at him.

"I can't say I'm the upmost authority on mothers, but I believe when a child or teenager curses like that, then they get their mouth washed out with soap." stated Near, his eyes peering into Mello's. Mello's eyes widen a bit.

Was Near just trying to make a joke to him? He looks at the slightly younger boy with uncertainty. He didn't think that his eyes could get any bigger when Near's eyes sparkle mischievously and he grins slightly, warming the usually cold face.

"We can't let him set an example like that; what would L think?"

Mello grins at him. Maybe being around him was opening Near up...

Near frowns. "L might not appreciate something like that, though. So it would probably be best if we refrained from doing that..."

...or not. -----

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ryuk watches as Light removes the small box and sets it down on the table. So much trouble for something so small. He wondered just what L Lawliet went through all the trouble of hiding. He leans against the wall and holds back a sigh. A human face as punishment for doing what is strictly forbidden; bringing back someone from Death, for they, the Shinigami, were gods of death and did not give someone life back, they took it away.

Gaining a new face and form was a small price to pay, really, when the alternative was death. It seemed like that even the Shinigami King could get bored, as he had told Ryuk before booting him back to the human world. His new eyes glance over Light's body casually. Plus, he got to have Light Yagami when he decided he wanted him. And not only that, but bringing back 'L' also kept the Kira game going; a game which Ryuk wanted to keep watching; it was so damn fun to watch! He had expected that coming to the human world would relieve him of some of his boredom, but he never expected it to be to this extent.

Humans were such a riot and not only did he get some top quality entertainment (and some sex to boot whenever he decided he finally wanted it) but he also got to taste the juiciest apples. That alone would have made the trip worthwhile; the apples in the shinigami realm were very, very dry and tasted like sand.

For now, he could just sit back and watch the show. He expected it to get even more entertaining here soon.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

All this trouble over...

He picks it up.

...a phone?

There was a note on top of the phone with a number on it, obviously showing that he had to call it. Then he supposed that he would have to speak the code he had gotten earlier, after he spoke with someone on the other end. Or an automated thing, he wasn't sure.

He removes the note and puts it in his pocket absently after he quickly memorizes the number on it, dialing the number on the sleek black cellphone that Light was very sure that L made untraceable to everyone other than himself (and maybe Watari as well).

The phone rings for a brief moment, before he hears the other line pick up. It was silent but he hears a faint breath on the other end, letting him know that someone was on the other end. He waits for a moment to see if the person would speak, but he hears nothing, so he speaks first.

"Passion, cold, overemotional. The final bells of Justice will sound."

He waits as he had been instructed in one of the notes and gets rewarded a moment later when the other person speaks.

"But the evil cannot be made into good." The voice was of an older male gentleman that he had never heard before, though he noticed the man had an british accent, making Light wonder if the man was in England or if he was somewhere else, but spoke with an accent.

"Justice will always prevail."

And it would...one way or the other.

He waits again and the older man speaks again.

"You have recieved confirmation; you may tell Ryuuzaki that the package will arrive soon."

And with that, the man abruptly hangs up.

Light looks at the phone in confusion.

"What the hell?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

\----- The plane was finally coming down and he could get off the damned thing. He wasn't afraid of flying, not at all, but he didn't like sitting still for so long with nothing to do, it was boring and nothing could get done.

He wasn't sure what to expect when they landed and they finally got to see L and help L, but he was ready to prove that he was just as able as Near was, MORE than able than Near, in fact. And it wasn't only that. He didn't want to prove that just for L, no, he wanted to show Near that too.

And he wanted to break Near from that cold facade into something warmer.

He was determined, both to catch Kira and to impress Near, and he would not fail in either one.

 


	7. Rain and the Result of Anger

The walk back was rather subdued and Light barely spoke to Ryuk when he tried to talk to him; his thoughts were centered on what he had just done and what L wanted to accomplish.

Just what was that 'package' that the man on the other line spoke of? He supposed, as his heart seems to sink down into his stomach, it was something to help Lawliet to help Kira. Like he didn't already have enough on his plate at the moment; there was something to be said in the fact that he was starting to feel the wear and tear of being Kira; his body and mind felt weary, something he hadn't noticed (hadn't let himself notice) until after he had seen L Lawliet die before his very eyes.

He DID want to change the world, make it better, but if he continued on the way he had been, even with L out of the picture, who's to say that he wouldn't have ended up badly as well? Even if Lawliet had been eliminated for good, it was naive to assume that would solve the rest of his problems and that he wouldn't have to face opposition later on. Naive and probably a fatal mistake, if he had continued on exactly as he had been.

If he had...?

L wanted nothing more than to catch Kira; he was picky and only took cases which really grabbed his attention. He spoke of being on the side of law when it came to justice, but that was just an easy answer for him. He did things the law would not do, to be able to win in the end. He was childish and hated to lose.

Light knew he was the same way.

It had been a game of sorts between L and Kira from the beginning, to see who could catch who first. And there, Light had come out the victor; he had L dead and gone forever, the biggest opposition would be eliminated for good. But he didn't expect the feelings that had awakened in him, once he had the limp and dead form of L in his arms. He had realized that he loved the world's greatest detective, had for a long time and had never realized, and had thought it to be too late.

Until he saw Ryuk that was. He demanded Ryuk to fix things, not exactly believing that Ryuk could (or would do) anything to change what happened. But not only did Ryuk have the power to do so (at a price), but that he actually did. Ryuk wanting something as simple as sex one time with him was a small price to pay to have Lawliet back.

Very small and one he was willing to pay (though the wait was bugging the hell out of him; he didn't like to wait for anything, even if it was something he didn't particularly want). Ryuk paid by having to take on the guise of a human and had lost his Shinigami eyes. Actually...that made Light wonder something.

He turns to look at Ryuk who was gliding next to him, speaking quietly so no one can hear him. "Ryuk?"

The shinigami turns to look at him. "Hmm? What is it, Light?"

"Well...your form has changed, and you lost the ability to see names and lifespans. I see that you still have your wings, but I was wondering if when you write someone's name into your Death Note, will you still gain their remaining life?" asked Light.

Ryuk looks at him thoughtfully. "That's a good question, Light. And I was wondering that myself, since the Shinigami King booted me back into the human world before I could ask, so I'm going to test it out soon."

It was starting to get darker, from the day getting later and from the clouds overhead. It looked as though it would rain soon.

Light was intrigued. "Really? On who? Anyone in particular?"

Ryuk grins. "No need to worry about your little detective; keeping him in the world seems to make things more entertaining. But I seen someone that I think I'll knock off, before I returned back to you."

Light takes out the cell phone that L had given to him to call once he completed what was needed. He calls L and it picks up on the first ring.

"Ryuuzaki, it's me. I have--"

"Yes, that's good to hear," said L. "Come back to the building now. There are things that need to be discussed. There is also--"

Light hears L suddenly get cut off and a loud squeal hits his ears in the next instant, telling him just who was also there.

"Light! Misa has missed you so much! Hurry back soon so we can have a date!" she squealed.

Before he could respond, he hears her protest something and he hears L as well.

"It is MY phone, Misa Amane, not yours. If you can kindly refrain from acting out again, then I may not send you straight back into your room without seeing Light-kun." said L to Misa. L comes back on the line. "Hurry back, Light-kun." The phone line goes dead and he pockets the cell phone.

He had forgotten about Misa.

Shit.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

\----- "You have received confirmation. You may tell Ryuuzaki that the package will arrive soon." -----

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

He glances at the squealing girl, who was talking to Matsuda about how she missed Light, couldn't wait to see Light, all of that. It was rather annoying to him. In fact, he had started feeling quite annoyed ever since Misa Amane had entered the building. That was interesting, and may need to be looked into...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

\----- He leaves his office, walking down the hallway and sees a teen working on a puzzle on the floor, a common occurrence in the large house. He starts to walk up to the boy, when the front door opens and a group of young kids and teens come in.

He turns to look at the teen on the floor that looks up at him, twirling a piece of hair in his fingers. "I need to speak to you, Near. It's quite important." -----

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\----- He sits at his desk, steeping his hands. Near was sitting on the floor, continuing on the puzzle he had been working on.

"This is about L and it is very important. Mello needed to be here as well as Matt, but I could not find them. Make sure you tell them once you see them, alright?" He waits until the boy turns from his puzzle and nods.

"Yes, Mr. Roger. What is it about L? Has something happened to him? Has he named a new successor?"

Roger sighs. "He is fine, though perhaps in a tad more danger than before, but he is still alive and well. He had not named a new successor. But he wants to speak with you."

Near's eyes widen in surprise; he hadn't expected that. This would be the second time that he had ever heard L speak, even if it was over the computer and warbled to protect his identity (not that Near expected any less from L), and it would be the first time that Near actually spoke to him. He and Mello both had not spoken to him that one time that L had spoken to them all in the Wammy House, over his computer of course.

Roger opens up the laptop on his desk, facing towards Near, L's symbol shining brightly.

"Hello, Near," said the warbled voice from the computer screen. "This is L." -----

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\----- "I am quite sure you are already aware of the Kira case and have been working on figuring it out yourself, am I correct in that assumption?" L asked Near.

Near stands, leaving his puzzle and sits in one of the chairs that was placed in front of the desk, sitting in his usual strange manner.

"Yes, but there has not been much information let loose, so I have only been able to work at half what I usually work at. But I have made my theories and have already have disks written up." said Near.

"Good. Make sure you bring them with you; because I want you, Mello, and Matt to take the next plane out and come to Japan. I want you to work on the Kira case with me."

Near's eyes widen. -----

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Rain starts to come down hard, the sky dark and forbidding looking. It had started small, but now the rain was coming down in a torrent. His hair was plastered to his face and his clothes were quickly getting soaked. It hadn't even been SUPPOSED to rain. There had been nothing on the news about rain, and now he was soaked because of misinformation from idiotic meteorologists.

Oh, well. He would just have to get a shower once he got back inside. He carefully kept his thoughts away from Lawliet and how, when they were handcuffed together, they would have to take showers together; or baths, when Lawliet sometimes insisted on those instead of the showers that Light had wanted. It had been much quicker to take a shower, able to get out of there quickly, rather embarrassed to have his body exposed, a bath exposed him just as much, and was longer as Lawliet liked to linger in there.

His eyes hadn't lingered on the detective's body then; he hadn't felt (or rather, he didn't know that he felt) that way about Lawliet, he hadn't felt any sort of sexual desire about ANYONE, but now he rather lamented the loss of not being able to see that body; he didn't know if he'd ever get that sort of chance again. All he could remember from his faint recollections was of a thin, lithe body, the muscles compact, L's body hiding the fact that he was quite strong (which Light was well familiar with), pale skin and haunted black eyes.

He finally gets back to the building, entering it after going through the first security checkpoint; L was quite thorough when it came to something as important as security and his own safety; the only person who had ever managed to get past them and destroy the man, was also the one who felt remorse for it, felt love for the man, and had made a God of Death bring him back to life.

It was thankfully quiet as he continues upwards in the building, not really wanting to talk to Ryuk, or anyone else for that matter right now, he wasn't looking forward to getting back. He had quite forgotten about Misa and was dreading seeing her. She was another problem in a list of things that needed to be changed.

If he could only think of a solution that didn't end with one, or both, of them dying. L had already died, and could no longer die by any Death Note, a plus, but he could still die by other means. And Light was equally at risk, by Death Note or other means. He was still suspected of being Kira and L was determined to catch all three of the Kira's, though not really for the side of the law; that was a front that Light had seen.

It was convenient to say that he would catch Kira, the killer of many, for the police and the side of the law, for his own kind of Justice. Light thought that was a bit of bullshit, to tell the truth. He knew that Lawliet had his own morals and what he thought of as Justice, this much was true, but Light also knew that L was only using the police, then the task force, as tools to catch Kira, because he would NOT lose, L did not lose and he was determined not to lose this time.

L could mobilize all the police in every country; they were tools that he used effectively when he needed them. Light suspected that this was more to do with not wanting to lose, more than the fact that he wanted to serve Kira to the 'law'. Lawliet wanted to be the one to catch Kira, (catch ALL the Kira's) and would go about his own ways of taking care of them if he ever caught them.

Light was determined not to be caught as Kira, was taking measures to keep that from happening, and had been thinking of new measures ever since L had come back through Ryuk's intervention. His mind had been working continuously, thinking of what must be done in order to protect himself, to keep L at bay when it came to his being Kira, and trying to pull Lawliet closer, intimately, if he was able to.

Misa was a problem factor, not as much as before, since Rem was dead and gone, which helped clear a bit of weight off of his shoulders, though he actually felt a smidge of regret at her death. She had done everything she had been supposed to and more, had gone beyond the call of duty, though in the end he regretted what happened to Lawliet. And maybe he even felt a bit bad for her.

He removes his soaked coat, and puts it over one arm. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, and a weird feeling was in his stomach; he had a foreboding feeling that something was going to happen soon. He opens the door that leads him into the main room where everyone was busy doing investigative work. Except L, that was.

He was nowhere in sight, which surprised Light. He quite expected the man to be working as diligently as usual on one of the computers, using that incredible brain of his to think of new ideas and the like; the detective had been eerily accurate on most of his hypotheses', even before things such as the Death Note were discovered.

Things have altered quite a bit once Lawliet had been revived by Ryuk. Watari had been brought back as well and he wasn't like the Watari that he had imagined, this man was quite older than he expected and he was obviously fond of L, something Light could tell once he seen the man. Not just bringing L sweets, but the way he spoke to him and interacted with him.

He was surprised that they were as close as they were, almost like a father and son, or grandfather and son, considering the older man's age; making Light ignore the little pang of jealousy that entered his heart at that, wanting to be able to be that close to the world's greatest detective, to make him smile, even if it was just that little half smile that he gave.

The detectives look up at his entrance. He blinks; his father was there also. He hadn't seen him since Lawliet had come back, that was surprising to him. He shakes it off and walks over to them.

"Light, you're back! Good!" said Matsuda. "Ryuuzaki just went off with Watari into Watari's rooms a little while after you left. So what did Ryuuzaki have you do?"

"Matsuda!" exclaimed Chief Yagami. "If Ryuuzaki wanted us to know, then he would tell us. We have to trust that it will be explained in due time by him, if it's important."

Droplets of water drip slowly from Light's hair and body and outside the windows, the rain was still coming down hard, a faint flash of lightning in the distance. Light shrugs a shoulder.

"I can't really say, Matsuda," said Light, ruefully. "Because I don't entirely understand it myself."

Ryuk glides over to the window and looks out it before turning back to Light.

"That wouldn't be the first thing, would it?" Ryuk said snidely. "Hyuk, hyuk."

Light ignored the shinigami's comments and also ignored the sudden little warning bells in the back of his mind, not noticing as the god of death slips away. A sudden flash of lightning lights up the window, illuminating the new face of the shinigami and heralds the sudden appearance of L in the other doorway, a piece of cake in one hand and he was eating what looked like a truffle in the other.

The detective walks slouched as always back over to his usual seat, turning and looking Light directly in the eyes. Light stiffens and holds back the urge to flush at that dark look in Lawliet's eyes. He didn't know what to make of it. Lawliet suddenly breaks the contact, making Light blink and turns to Light's father.

"It's good to see you back, Chief." said L. "So your wife and daughter are doing alright then?"

Soichiro nods at him. "Yes, quite fine. I wanted to keep working on the case, but I appreciate the time you allowed me with my wife and daughter; they've been alone most of the time, what with me and Light both working on the case, so they've been worried."

Lawliet opens his mouth to speak when a few things happen in succession; first the power goes off, a flash of lightning illuminating the room suddenly. The power comes back on, but the computers all suddenly flash with the same message ALL DATA DELETED, the same thing that happened before. The detectives all make a noise in shock at the sudden loud sound as the piece of cake falls out of Lawliet's hands, the saucer shattering into many little pieces. Light's eyes widen and turn to Lawliet. The detectives eyes were filled with such feeling that Light had never seen before, never had he seen such anger in the man's eyes.

"Get him out of here now!" yelled L, startling everyone even further. He pointed at Light. "Take him to a room now! Mine, his, I don't care. Just _get him out of my sight_!"

"Ryuuzaki, if you would just--" started the Chief.

" _Now_ Chief Yagami! Or do I have to kick you out of here too? Get him out of my sight!"

A startled Light gets grabbed by Mogi and his father and gets thrown into Lawliet's room, which was the closest. The door closes behind him and he hears a clicking sound. He gets up from the floor where Mogi had thrown him in a hurry and attempts to open the door. He was surprised when he felt it locked; there was no mechanism on the outside that someone could lock; meaning that L had some sort of electronic mechanism that allowed him to be able to lock someone in at will. He felt very confused and wondered what was going on. Why would the screen flash like that again? He had thought that to be over. Did that mean that Lawliet still remembered something? Or was he just angry because he thought Light to be Kira and wanted to keep him away from causing further damage?

The latter seemed like the more logical conclusion that his confused mind could think of, the detective had shown no signs at all that he remembered anything that happened. Not that Lawliet was an easy man to read; but Light was getting better at deciphering things in the man's face. And none of the detectives remembered anything either. He moves to go sit on the bed; there was nothing to gain by trying to open the door, it was an effort in foolishness to keep trying.

He wasn't sure just how long he sat there, trying to get his thoughts together and figure out just what the hell was going on, hearing faint shouting for a few minutes then silence. After however long, he finally hears another click coming from the door, but doesn't see anything (as he had closed the door to L's actual bedroom, leaving the living area behind to sit on L's bed, which the man probably hardly ever actually used.). He debated on whether or not to stand, finally managing to stand before the door flies open.

L stands in the doorway, eyes blazing as much as they did before, if not more so. He stalks over to where Light stood frozen, unable to move or speak; all he could do was stare as the world's greatest detective comes over towards him.

"Damn you! You killed him, a--" L cuts himself off as he grabs onto the younger man for a harsh kiss. Light makes a sound in his throat, his eyes widening in surprise and when his mouth opens to respond, Lawliet takes this as the time to thrust his tongue into his mouth.

Light moans as L pushes him onto the bed, never breaking the kiss. The sounds of the man's harsh breaths echo strangely in Light's ears, against the moans that permeated the air; moans he knew were also his. This was what he had been wanting, but it was being taken in the angriest of ways--!

He tries to pull away from Lawliet, feeling the ever surprising strength from the detective as he holds him down, holding onto his wrists.

"L—Ryuuzaki, listen to m—"

He's completely and utterly startled as he feels tears fall onto his face, looking up to see the man's eyes filled with tears, but looking angry, not sad. He seemed to be angrier because some emotion actually managed to come out. Light stops struggling, Lawliet lets go of his hands and he moves his hands hesitantly to cup the detective's face.

"Damn you, Kira," said L hoarsely. "You've taken everything away from me, haven't you? Is taking my heart not enough for you, Kira? You have to take away Watari away from me too? It's all your fault."

Light's eyes widen, his breath catching in his throat. His own throat goes dry as he looks up at the man. Lawliet wasn't fooling him was he? Could the man even say something like that, even to get what he needed? Light didn't want to think so, he truly didn't. He swallows hard, the words that had been settled hard against his heart, ready to come out, bursting to speak;

"I never killed Watari! Never! I love you. Why would I kill someone you care about? I'm not Kira, I'm not a killer!" he exclaimed, feeling rather shocked at himself that he had actually openly admitted that he loved the man, but still had enough mind not to do something to admit his guilt of being Kira, regardless of the circumstances.

Lawliet stares at him for a long moment. He looked strangely vulnerable, looking younger than he usually did. Light wipes the last of the tears away from the detective's eyes and strokes the side of his face; he wasn't pushing Light away, so that was a good sign.

"You…love me?" asked L, sounding younger and much more vulnerable than usual. "You didn't…kill Watari." Light shakes his head, but the latter sounded more like a statement than a question.

"No. I told you; I love you. I didn't kill him." said Light, feeling a little foolish as he asks; "Do you…I mean, you said that about your heart and—"

Lawliet grabs onto Light's hands and puts them back down on the bed, leaning over Light once more. Light could feel the heat in his groin grow as Lawliet licks his lips.

"I did say that didn't I, Light-kun? I love you and I find that it is quite a distraction," said Lawliet. His eyes travel down Light's body casually and Light finds himself fighting a sudden blush. "And having you in close proximity was supposed to _help_ the case, not hinder it. You are hindering me by being so damned…" He leans and kisses Light. " _You_."

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The moments that came later were like a hazy blur. Their clothes come off in quick succession, Light's breath hitching as Lawliet finds one of his nipples and toys with it mercilessly with his mouth, apparently taking delight in Light's moans. The pain as fingers move inside of his body, but accompanied with them was a pleasure like he had never known before. He had been with a few girls before, but never a man. But then again he had never loved any of those girls and he loved this man.

He grits his teeth as he forces himself to relax, seeing Lawliet looking down at him, using his free hand to brush back hair from Light's forehead.

"Relax, Light-kun." murmured Lawliet, leaning over to take Light's lips again, apparently delighting in being able to kiss the younger man again and again and Light was more than happy to let him. Finally L removes his fingers from Light and positions himself at his entrance, his brows furrowed. "This will hurt, but it will not last long if you keep relaxed."

He thrusts home and Light lets out a gasp, trying to remember what the older man said. Lawliet moans softly, leaning forward and kissing him again. He takes Light's slightly flagging cock and strokes it, bringing it fully erect again, running a thumb over the tip as he strokes it up and down.

"R-Ryuuzaki. Please," groaned Light. He longed to be able to call his new lover by his true name, but knew that he couldn't. Lawliet, Lawliet, Lawliet, Lawliet! "It…it feels fine now, so please _move_."

He grabs onto the detectives thin hips and pulls him forward, getting rewarded from a loud groan from the lanky man, who thrusts hard, unable to contain himself. A rhythm gets started, Lawliet stroking Light's cock in times with his thrusts. Their husky cries fill the air as they move together in near synchronicity. This was everything that Light had been hoping for, and more. More than he ever expected to give or to receive.

He could forget about everything in this moment, about Kira, about Shinigami and the Death Note, the Kira case, Misa, everything.

He cries out as Lawliet's next thrusts hits a bundle of nerves, panting as the man slowed down.

"Am I…" panted Lawliet. "Hurting you?"

Light shakes his head, pulling him down for a hard kiss.

The pressure was building and building and he could no longer take it; his head moves up as he yells his completion, his come spurting into Lawliet's hands and onto their bodies, pleasure overtaking his body, Lawliet coming deep into his body a moment later with a groan of his own.

They lay like that for a few moments, both breathing heavily. Finally, Lawliet sits up, removing himself as gently from Light as he could before laying beside him, snuggling up to Light, not seeming to care about the mess. And Light was too tired and pleased, his body sated and then some, to care about a bit of stickiness. It was quiet for a few moments and Light felt his eyelids drooping from exhaustion, holding back a yawn.

He was nearly asleep when he felt one of Lawliet's hands grab one of his own and links with it. He looks down at their joined hand, then the detective. He had never seen L look so tired before, or so content looking for that matter.

"I love you, Light-kun." said Lawliet, sleepily.

Light smiles at him. "I love you too."

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all…

"But I still think you're Kira."

…or not.

 


	8. Le arrivee de un dieu de mort (or) seta-tu neturu en tuaut

"Sem-a ab-a en unnut-f nebtet kerh?" --the Papyrus of Ani, the Book of the Dead

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He shakes his head in amusement, looking down at the pair of sleeping lovers on the bed. All that talk of love and everything, it was all very funny! Shinigami didn't see things like humans did, not exactly, and Ryuk thought the concept of love to be more amusing than anything else. And then, when things seemed to settle down after some quite hot sex, then L brings up Kira! Ryuk never ceased to be amused by the antics of humans, Light Yagami and L Lawliet in particular. He didn't seem to lack any entertainment, even now, and that was what mattered to him.

The Shinigami King had all but forgotten about his Shinigami, unless it came to giving new ones Death Notes, so the realm of the Shinigami had fallen into disrepair. Maybe once all this crazy, but always amusing, shit was over and he had to go back to the Shinigami realm, he would do something to change it, like Light had suggested. It was worth a shot; he certainly couldn't do anything to screw it up and maybe the shinigami would be like they once were.

He moves away from the sleeping pair and moves over to the window, looking out as rain continued to pour down, making it look dark and bleak outside; not that he really cared. He could see his reflection in the glass. Ryuk had never given much thought to how he looked before and girls always made him nervous. A God of Death he may be, but he also had feelings that didn't revolve around apples and killing people. Shinigami did not usually partake in the pleasures of the flesh, as it was generally frowned upon by the Shinigami King. He said generally because the Death King could be quite finicky at times. Ryuk only knew that other Gods of Death ever had sex because he happened to catch a few before.

And some of it didn't look pretty either; but to each his own, he supposed. He wasn't one to talk, it's not like he ever partaken in anything like that anyway. He glances at Light for a moment. He had an opportunity to take Light one time, whenever he chose to do so. That Light was a male was of no consequence to him; Gods of Death didn't think of (or do) things the same as humans did. Gender meant absolutely nothing, other than the fact that you would have to have sex differently, that was all.

Turning back to the window, he blinks as he sees a strange gleam in the sky. And it looked like it was falling...

He shifts through the wall and manifests his wings out to the open and flies out into the torrent of rain, heading towards the direction that the strange gleam was falling in.

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Something was up. She didn't know what, but she knew something was. Did they honestly think she was all looks and no brains? While she may not have been as smart as Ryuuzaki or her Light, she did have some brains. She had found Kira before Kira had found her, the second Kira, after all.

There was something she was missing though. She had gone to the headquarters so she could see her Light, it had been so long! But he wasn't there, apparently having to do something for Ryuuzaki and then when Light calls, the damned insomniac had taken the phone from her, given her the coldest look and once he was done talking to Light, he had made her leave before she could see him!

Ryuuzaki wasn't even supposed to be here by now! Rem had died for nothing, turning to ash, rust and who knew what else. She hadn't seen Rem's remains herself, but she knew what they would be like because Rem had told her about the God of Death named Jealous who had saved her life from a stalker because he was in love with her.

She wasn't sure just why Rem was gone but yet Ryuuzaki was still around. Maybe there had been a rule of the Shinigami that Rem hadn't told her; maybe it was one Rem didn't know; because Rem seemed to know all there was to know about the Shinigami realm, but there was always the possibility that Rem didn't know them all, or that maybe it was a new rule.

Ryuuzaki had taken her closest companion and friend away from her, had lived when he should have died and kept her away from her Light! She didn't know just how yet, but she would find a way to make Ryuuzaki pay, oh yeah, she would. She needed to see her Light, not just for him to hold and kiss her (like she hoped he would, if he wasn't too busy) but to see what else he needed her to do; for he must be very upset that his plans did not go as he wished them, because Ryuuzaki was still alive.

Ryuuzaki didn't die before, but he would soon. Light would be so pleased with her!

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He wasn't sure what he expected, if anything, when he set out to investigate the sudden gleam that had been falling away in the distance. But what he definitely did NOT expect what he saw when it finally landed on the ground with a hard 'thump' and he lands down to see what it was.

The form of a female graced his eyes, barely covered up by cloth, kneeling on one leg, breathing harsh as the ever present rain continued to fall down, though Ryuk barely registered the drops falling around him and on him. He cursed the fact that he no longer had the Shinigami eyes, for he would be able to know immediately who this was and when she was going to die.

Strangely, something felt a little familiar about her…

He stands there, apparently unnoticed as she seems to try and gain her bearings back (not that he expected her to be able to see him anyway), letting him take an unbiased look at her as she stands up shakily. She was rather tall; shoulder length blonde hair obscured her face, she was long of limb with small, perky breasts and not a bad ass on her, if he had to think about it. In fact, he actually felt something stir within him, surprising the hell out of the Shinigami.

After staring at her for who knew how long, he jumps slightly in surprise as she turns towards him, looking at him directly in the eyes. Her eyes widen slightly, then she smiles, surprising the God of Death even further. The appearance may not look familiar but…

"Hello, Ryuk. So you really do look different; the Shinigami King had said you did, but I knew I wouldn't believe it until I saw it with my own two eyes." said the woman.

…the voice was. He couldn't believe it, but the voice alone told him the truth.

"Rem, hey."

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The plane lands, the wheels screeching as they hit the landing pad. The passengers inside get jostled for a moment as it screeches to a halt. There were murmurs from people, people grabbing bags and suitcases as they prepared to disembark. Mothers led their children off the plane, father's picked up their babies, couples left hand in hand, seniors were led off by the helping hands of the flight attendants.

The last three off the plane made for quite the sight. One of them had goggles on top of his red hair, a white vest with white fur around it, underneath was a long sleeved striped shirt, the person also wore black gloves, blue pants and knee-high black boots and was so absorbed in a handheld video game that they nearly tripped a few times.

The second one had blonde hair and because of the hair, you would have to take a double glance otherwise you might think that they were a girl. But this was also a male, like the first one. He wore a leather sleeveless vest that hugged his body, wearing leather pants that were form fitting as well; black shoes, a cross on his neck completed the package. He was also munching on a bar of chocolate with fervor.

The last person was also odd looking; he had on a pair of slightly baggy white pajamas, white shoes that didn't look like they were wore very often, if at all, and had one finger wrapped around a piece of his hair.

Looking at these three, most people wouldn't guess that they were the three brightest minds that had come out of the most prestigious orphanage, wouldn't guess that these three were the sent by the world's greatest detective.

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\--FB-- He blinks his wide black eyes as she starts her descent downwards, leaning forward from his strange kneeling position. The Death King watches Rem, one of his Shinigami (and one of the few female ones) fall down into the human world, as she does so, something comes to him and he speaks to her.

"Oh. And Rem?" he adds as she turns her face up to look at him. He stops time around her so she wouldn't fall before he had his say. Sometimes it was good to be King.

"My King?" she asks. Good, he liked her tone; he didn't like the wimpy tones some of his Shinigami would take when around him, yet she knew to speak with some respect in her voice. She was one of his best Gods of Death, perhaps that was why he would allow her this one thing...

"I'm leaving you with the Eyes that all Shinigami have, except our bored little Ryuk.that is. But you can tell him that you have the

Eyes and what I say here." said the Death King. "I am also allowing you to make the Shinigami Eyes deal specifically to him. I say specifically because this one is just for him and comes with a price..."

The Death King tells her about the deal and her eyes widen in understanding.

"...but you can only offer that to him. You can offer the regular Shinigami Eyes deal to the first person who comes in contact with your second Death Note." said the Death King.

"Um...My King, the second Death Note I had, Jealous'...it was--" she started.

He stops her mid sentence with a wave of one of his thin, pale hands.

"I'm well aware, Rem," he snaps. But he gets rid of his slight annoyance a moment later. "No, I don't mean that one; the human's NPA has that, or that is to say, L does. No, I mean this one," a red Death Note appears in one of his hands and which he tosses into the portal on the floor which Rem was still stuck in. The Death Note, however, flies right past her, continuing its descent into the human world. "You will be attached to the first human who picks it up, so as soon as someone does, you will haunt them. Have I made everything clear to you, Shinigami Rem?"

Rem nods before bowing her head in respect. "Completely, My King."

He nods slightly at her. "Good. Now you can go."

Before she could respond, he snaps his fingers and the time around Rem starts to move once more and she continues to fall into the human world. The Death King smiles. This situation looked as though it was going to give him a lot more amusement than he thought. He decided that he would take a leaf out of his bored little Shinigami Ryuk's book and just sit back and enjoy the show. --FB--

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"I can't believe that L, L!, actually asked us here," said Matt excitedly. Mello glances at his friend briefly, while Near looked out the window, chin on his hand. "I mean, I can understand if he was going to ask anyone from the orphanage, that he would ask you two since you two are fighting to be his successor, but I'm not even third; S is, I'm just now fourth. Though if S continues the way she is, she'll either get demoted to my position and I'll take third or she'll leave and I'll take third. I wonder why he asked for me."

The car they were in slows down as the light turns red. The car had been there in front of the airport when they had finally gotten out of the damned place, a man in a suit had been standing in front of it and asked who was Mello, then he handed Mello an envelope. It was from L and had said quite simply; "You will be the driver." And it had instructions on how to get to the building where L was at, as well as how to get IN he building as there was many precautionary measures of security as the building held something as important as L.

So Mello was the driver while Near and Matt sat in the back. He glances in the mirror at Near and frowns. Near had been starting to warm up slightly from his usual indifferent, or glacial, attitude. But then when they got off of the plane he had been reverting back as he had before. No, wait...it seemed like he had once they had met up with Matt right BEFORE they got off of the plane...that was interesting.

Near turns towards Matt, who was actually refraining from playing anymore of his handheld games. He seemed to be too excited for once. His hands fumble for a cigarette and lighter in his pocket, but he stops at Near's cold stare.

"I would appreciate it if you would refrain from doing that in such an enclosed space, if you would." stated Near. "Second-Hand smoke is more harmful than regular smoke and a lot of it would be inhaled in such a small space. And opening the window is out of the question as it's quite cold and rainy outside."

Matt just stares at him for a moment with wide eyes. As the light turns green and the car starts to move forward again, Mello allows himself to chuckle.

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"The Shinigami King changed what you looked like to, so he punished you too then?" asked Ryuk.

Rem glances at him and nods; they were both gliding in the air, wings outstretched. The clouds were finally starting to disperse and the rain was starting to come to a halt.

"Yes, but he also allowed me...certain things that he didn't give you the first time," said Rem, looking at the other Shinigami. "So Ryuk, I want to ask you--"

Ryuk slows down as she stops mid-sentence, a glazed look over her eyes.

"What is it?" asked Ryuk.

"The second Death Note the Shinigami King entrusted to my keeping has just been picked up." she says, turning back to Ryuk. "I have to go."

"Hey, wait--"

She disappears.

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He awakens to an empty bed; his eyes blink a few times sleepily and he lets out a yawn. Then the memories of the night before come flooding back and he has to hold back a blush. He gets up and winces at the pain in his back, the pain a clear reminder of the...activities that he and Lawliet had engaged in--three times. Light makes his way to the bathroom, thankful that only his back was hurting and not his ass, as that would be a bitch to have to sit on.

He knocks hesitantly on the door, not hearing any sounds from the inside, but that didn't mean that L wasn't still in there. He glances at the clock; unlikely considering it was past noon already, but Lawliet also worked strange hours that the rest of the mere mortals could only TRY and do the same. After waiting and hearing nothing, he opens the door and walks inside. He flicks on the light switch and the room quickly illuminates.

As he steps into the shower, thankfully not having to bend down to remove any clothing as he was still quite naked from the night before, he turns the water on to a bearable level and allows his mind to drift as he starts to wash. He hadn't known what to say after Lawliet had said 'I love you...but I still think you are Kira.' so he kisses the detective and lets his mouth and body do the talking for him.

They hadn't spoken about it any further that night and only the sounds of their moans, as well as each other's names had been spoken. He sighs and gathers some shampoo from one of the bottles and starts to lather his hair. He had an admission of love from Lawliet, something he had been wanting desperately, but there was still the lingering doubt that Lawliet was only doing this to get his way and catch Kira, for how much closer could someone get than being inside someone else's body?

Light frowns. No, he didn't want to think that way. He wanted to believe that Lawliet was speaking nothing but the truth, because Light thought that he had never seen the man so open and sincere, but he still couldn't dismiss the thought that L was doing this to capture Kira. He stops lathering and dunks under the showerhead, letting the water wash away the soap, tears mingling with the waterdrops and doing nothing to stop them.

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The car comes to a halt inside the massive building and they exit the car, each carrying their bags and suitcases. They all glance at each other, trying to ignore the anxiety in each other's faces as well as the excitement. Mello walks ahead, leaving Matt and then Near to follow him. It was eerily quiet and he would rather have heard them having an argument, like the one they had in a car, than the silence. At least that 'argument' had been amusing.

And it had made Near smile, at least after he had chuckled. He was determined to get the younger teen to open up to him. He didn't want to be rivals exactly as they had been, a lot of that animosity had been because he hadn't known what to do about his feelings for Near, but now he knew that he wanted to be closer to him, make him smile, all those sappy things.

He glances back at them. Matt was pretty cute as well...

Mello stops as he comes across a machine on the side. The note that L had written had included what they must do to enter the building. They had their eyes scanned one-by-one before coming fully inside with the car, this machine would be taking their fingerprints and allow them to enter further. Mello wasn't sure just how L could configure all of these machines to such high standards, but L was L and knew just what to do with every situation.

He figured being a multi-billionaire must also help.

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He exits the shower and towels himself dry, thankful to no longer feel so sticky and the pain in his back was starting to lessen as well. Light picks up his clothes, letting out a small chuckle, the laugh helping to dissipate the sadness that he had felt in the shower; L had picked up Light's clothes and had folded them neatly but left the rest of the room in disarray, but he clearly had given the things that were Light's with care. Maybe he really did care then...?

He was afraid to let himself hope.

He quickly dresses and exits the room, quickly going down the hallway, seeing no one as he did so. He walks past a table that was laden with coffee (or at least a empty coffee pitcher) and a variety of donuts and a few muffins, the latter of which surprised Light. He grabs one of the blueberry muffins and starts to leave when, as an afterthought, he grabs one of the glazed donuts as well. He comes to the main room, nods a hello after the detectives all greet him hello. L was not there. He frowns, but tries not to think too deeply about it yet. He takes his usual seat, turning to look at the computer screen in front of him and taking a bite of the muffin, setting the donut down in front of him.

As he sits there eating he remembers what brought Lawliet back into the room where Lawliet was in the first place. Watari was dead. Lawliet had been very angry and had exclaimed that Light had killed him, but he hadn't. He didn't know who did. Although...a thought occurs to him. What had Ryuk said? That he had found someone to test on? To see if he would gain the extra lifespan? Had Ryuk killed Watari? He idly wonders where L had went off to.

It was only when he was about halfway done with his muffin when L finally resurfaced, walking slouchedly as always, a cup of coffee in each hand, nodding as the detectives greet him solemnly. Light tenses as he nears, the doubt coming back to the surface again, but he blinks when one of the cups gets thrust into his face. "Here, Light-kun."

He grabs it automatically, the steam rising up from the top. L moves over to his chair, setting the cup down in front of him before moving to sit in his usual kneeling position, taking his own coffee and putting in some of the sugar cubes that were set up on a saucer in front of him.

Light watches him do this for a few moments before suddenly blurting out; "I'm sorry for you loss, Ryuuzaki." L's head turns sharply to look at him and he flushes. The piercing stare from the detective made him nervous and he fumbles for what else to say or do. He grabs onto the donut and hands it to L. Lawliet blinks for a moment before taking the donut with two of his fingers. He smiles suddenly at Light, making Light blush even further. His heart thumps hard against his chest and he stops from squirming in his chair. That look was affecting him, in more ways than one and he REALLY didn't want to get a hard-on in front of all the detectives, his father included.

As he tries to figure out how to quit blushing like a fool, the door to the side opens...

...and out comes Aiber, Wedy and three teenagers.

"Ah, good," said L suddenly, taking a bite of his donut. "You all made it. Thank you for going downstairs to meet them Aiber-san, Wedy-san." They both nod and L swallows his bite, looking to the new people in the room. "I'm L." He glances at Light. "Light-kun, detectives...this is Mello," The teen with the yellow hair and unusual haircut nods a greeting. "Matt," Matt, who had red hair and goggles on his head, waves and says 'Hey.' "And Near." This boy looked slightly younger than the other two, but not by much. He wore white pajamas and was twirling a piece of hair around his finger. He nods when L gets to him.

Lawliet turns back to Light. "These were what I had you leave to go get for me."

Light's eyes widen. These were the 'package' that Lawliet had wanted to bring here so badly?

What the hell?!

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"Heh Heh Hahahaha! Delete!" The hand flies across the page. "Delete! Delete! DELETE!"

 


	9. Je avoir un décision dans devant de me (I have a decision in front of me)

"Well, that is quite annoying." he stated, looking down.

A large shape slithers in next to him and he turns to see a creature unlike anything that the humans had ever seen, white and completely covered in eyes. He looks at it fondly, one of his absolute favorites.

"What is wrong, my King?" the voice was surprisingly feminine compared to what the body looked like, but then again, those kinds of standards were human ones and the Shinigami judged everything differently, and the King especially knew that to judge as humans did was to court madness, or at least, stupidity.

"Ah, Nu. It's good to see you." he says fondly. He kneels in his chair as usual and sighs. "A stupid human called Teru Mikami picked up the Death Note I let drop before Rem could complete the deal with Ryuk; I find that I don't like when my plans aren't followed through." She looks at him thoughtfully; he could easily tell what she was feeling, she was his Shinigami after all and it wasn't all that difficult. She stays silent for a moment and he could figure out what she wasn't saying.

"I would welcome any input you have, my most loyal Shinigami," said the Death King. He twirls a piece of black hair in his fingers. "I can think of many solutions, of course," He could and he did, but he was interested in what she had to say. "But I would like to hear from you."

"Perhaps you can send a Shinigami down to give the deal to Ryuk and relieve Rem of it?" she suggested. With a soft glow, she changes her form, looking like a normal human now, like Naomi Misora in fact. To change your usual form was a gift granted to the highest Shinigami and the Shinigami King.

He wondered why she would choose the form of a human though; he had meant to punish Ryuk and Rem with human forms, so he said anyway. Now he realized that Ryuk and Rem were lucky that he was actually quite fond of them; if it had been lesser Shinigami than them, ones that he did not care for, then they would have been killed, not 'punished' with the human form.

"Not a bad idea," he said. "I had thought of it, of course," He had also thought about which to send to do the job. "But I am wondering now why you would choose to look like that human? The one who almost stopped little Kira's plans?"

Nu, looking like Naomi still, shrugged. "I like the look of her, I suppose. For such a weak little creature, anyway. I think it was quite amusing that Kira had her kill herself&. She takes down Beyond Birthday&& but can't stand up to the brilliance of Kira, so amusing." More amusing that she sounded like the human of the form she took while talking about these things. "Do you suppose you'll send Jastin?"

The Shinigami King's wide black eyes blink in response. He hadn't actually thought of Jastin; he had been thinking of lesser Shinigami he could send. "He's as good as any, more than most," Jastin was only below Nu in rank and other than Nu, he trusted no one else as much. "And that is actually better than sending a lesser Shinigami; Jastin is known by all my Shinigami and has much favor with me; they wouldn't dare not listen to what he would have to say, not even my rebellious little Ryuk." He waves a thin hand at Nu, who changes back to her normal form. "Go and bring Jastin here. We have much to discuss..."

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He wondered what Rem had wanted to say to him before she had to go. What had she said? That the old man had 'entrusted' a second Death Note to her? Why? He shrugs. It was hard to say just why the old man did _anything_ , much less this.

Ryuk also noticed that he could go pretty much as far as distance as he wanted to go now; before there had been a limit of distance that he could go from Light who held his (well, okay, it was really Sidoh's) Death Note and now he seemed to be able to go wherever he pleased, or at least much farther than before (he felt unsure about testing how far he could go just yet).

And did he mention...damn did Rem look pretty hot! Maybe it was due to his form having changed so dramatically, but he felt excitement like he thought he only could from apples. It was surprising as hell, but he wasn't about to bitch and moan over something which was exciting and new.

He stops his unusual contemplations and heads back inside the large building that L had built for the sole purpose of catching Kira. And from the lovey-dovey sounds that he heard from Light and Lawliet before; it seemed to have worked. Man was love ever funny.

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Now she just had to get into the building and to her Light. He had the Death Note, but surely he didn't want to keep holding onto it with suspicion still over his head and she could be Kira for Light. She wanted to take the Shinigami Eyes again; it would make her useful to him again.

She taps her foot as the camera looks at her; she knew that L was the one probably looking, the perv, or was arguing with the others on letting her in or not. She hadn't forgotten how he had tossed her out the door; though not literally, he was just as anxious to get her out before Light got back. He was trying to keep her and Light apart! That alone would be reason enough to end his life.

She lets out a sigh as the doors finally open to let her inside. Finally she would see Light! And she would get them away from everyone else to talk (he was thankfully no longer handcuffed to that damned 'Ryuuzaki') and they could (or at least Light could) make plans to stop Ryuuzaki for good.

She walks inside.

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"You're third now," said L randomly, pointing at Matt. Matt blinks rapidly for a moment, startled.

"W-What?" said Matt a little bewilderedly.

L stares at him expressionlessly for a moment before speaking. "You're third, as I said. Beneath Mello and Near in rankings." said L. Matt looked quite surprised.

"Seriously?"

Near was looking just as unexpressive as L was, while Mello was looking at his friend in amusement.

"Don't make me repeat myself again," said L, sounding a little annoyed. "Yes, you are third." His voice softens slightly. "S died hours ago, while you three were still on the plane; I got the news from Roger."

There were a few murmurs from the three teens and L takes another bite of his donut, with Light trying _very_ hard not to watch as Lawliet licked some of the crumbs off the side of his mouth with his tongue. Damn.

S huh? So what would these three be called then? N and M? Well, there was Matt thought too…would he just use a different version of the letter M like Wedy and Watari used to? He mentally shrugs the thought away.

"But I didn't bring you all this way just to talk about that; I came to talk about Kira." said L, finishing the rest of his donut and…had he glanced at Light at that statement? He didn't think he was seeing things.

"Is it safe for me to assume that all three of you have all followed the Kira case?" L looked slightly doubtfully at Matt in particular who still held a handheld game limply in one of his hands, but he receives nods of assent. "Good."

He now addresses everyone in the room, mostly the detectives who had been watching the scene quietly. "I believe with the additions of Near, Mello and Matt that the Kira case will finally reach its conclusion and Kira will be done away with once and for all."

Light swallows against a lead feeling in his throat and tries not to show any outward emotion. Lawliet was as determined as ever, if not more so, to catch Kira and serve him 'justice'. Saying it was for justice was a lie; he was doing it for himself; he hated to lose, he told Light so himself.

Well…he couldn't catch someone who didn't exist anymore, could he?

Light no longer wished to be Kira; as much as he thought he had been helping the world on a large scale, nothing good would have come for it in the end. Even if he had somehow managed to defeat L before, he now knew that he had successors waiting in the wings and the world itself would not be helped. The crime rate _would_ go down, sure, but the long-term affects would be more detrimental than helpful; the world would be based on fear and what if Light couldn't even get to that point?

What if the Death Note managed to seduce him completely with its power? He would forget what he had been working towards to begin with and lose sight of himself, bloated with power, filled with ego, there would be no end…save death.

No…he didn't want that. And there _were_ things he could do to help people. Doing what he was doing…going down that path…would lead to ruin.

He just had to make sure that everything didn't collapse around him.

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L starts to speak but gets interrupted as a beep emanates from his computer. He turns to his computer and Light turns to it as well, glancing at the teens as they cautiously made their way closer and damned if that kid—couldn't be more than 14 or 15, though Mello and Matt only looked one or two years older—didn't have the same kind of shuffle walk that L did!

Lawliet focuses on his screen—it was that damned Misa! Why did she have to pick _now_ of all times to poke her head in where it didn't belong? He lets out a sigh and glances sideways at Light. Light had been strangely quiet this morning; then again he had been last night after a time as well. Last night…

He lets himself forget about the annoyed girl on the screen and lets himself think about last night. Flashes of skin, moans permeating the air, the scent that was Light, the treasured words of love from a young man who he found that he loved back…and who he knew was Kira.

But he planned to change that; there had to be a reason that Light would bring him back from the dead (however he did it), and Lawliet let himself believe it was because Light truly loved him, for why else would he bring back someone who could send him away for good—or have him killed?

Yes…he had been thinking about things for awhile now. There was only one solution…

In order for Lawliet not having to capture Light as the First Kira…

…then someone else would have to be Kira.

 


	10. A discovery found and a plan ready to begin. It will start at Sakura TV, part I

I am ready to find that one person who will become Kira; I hope you understand what I am doing for you, Light-kun. That I truly can, and do, feel; you started it all…

Lawliet, I've been doing lots of thinking about me and my feelings for you, from where it all started…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He had been thinking for days on just how to go about things. Though he was at a slight standstill, something which he didn't like, but couldn't really do anything about at the moment; he needed a catalyst which he could use and mold, make into the Kira which Light had once been so well. He said once, believing that Light had truly changed and was trying to reform himself from his previous ways.

Trust was a very important thing in any case, but more especially when it came from someone like L Lawliet. L, before he came to the conclusion that he trusted Light (surprisingly enough), had only ever truly trusted Watari and then Roger at Wammy's House. Sometimes he thought that he hardly ever trusted himself, but he did trust Light now and that meant that a few things had to change.

In trusting Light, he was putting himself out there further than he ever had before and he was unusually finding himself actually hoping, hoping that Light would hold onto that very fragile trust and do right with it. Light had broken down his neutrality, his shield, had broken down L until Lawliet was left bleeding in the middle.

Lawliet was ready to make a few changes, many of them major ones, and one of those included the transformation of Light Yagami from Kira to just Light Yagami, the brilliant young mind who was handsome and a genius in his own right; L Lawliet's one and only true equal. He was starting to see Light without the red glare of Kira behind his eyes and he found that it was a nice change; quite nice in fact.

Because he now knew for sure that it was indeed Light who truly drew him, not just Kira. He had been slightly worried that he was only morbidly attracted to Light because he was Kira; so finding out that wasn't the case, was a giant relief off of his shoulders.

Another change was the transformation of a person into Kira. The First Kira, to be precise. As Misa Amane was the Second Kira. And the Third Kira was dead.

He did not want a Fourth Kira out there, which, reports he had received, it seemed there now was.

He needed to find out about this Fourth Kira, for this new Kira acted differently than Kira's past, though he had similar killing styles like the First and Second Kira's. The difference was the times and how this Kira was only going after the most violent murderers right now, whereas the First and Second Kira would also kill rapists and molesters of those sorts.

He just needed to find the Fourth Kira now. He would have to be even more vigilant than usual, especially since he now had to find the Fourth Kira, to keep the transition in Light from Kira to Light again, going, to keep Mello, Matt and Near on the case but away from Light and onto the newest Kira once he gathered him up and started to mold and change him into the First Kira. Plus many other small and large tasks which he had to keep up with and do. A lot of work for some, but he felt he was more than up to the challenge.

He had to be.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

\--First Person POV—

I felt like something inside me had died when you died. L. Lawliet…I hadn't expected to feel anything other than triumph that I had finally succeeded over my only true equal and my rival. But that wasn't the case. As I held you in my arms and I watched the last breath leave your body…to have your eyes close on me as the last sight that they ever took in…the triumph in my gaze, in my expression…melted away as if it had never existed.

Something in my heart started to stir, to warm up; it was something that I now know that had been there all along, but had never known it for what it was until I thought it was too late, for I had never known the emotion…love. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but this was a different sort of love entirely. The totality of emotion that this is…it's incredible and absolutely frightening to me.

Love is a foreign emotion for me and I have never felt that all encompassing love for another human being before, male or female, though I had always considered myself to be heterosexual, deep down I never felt anything for any of the females I dated. Misa, Takada, so many others and I felt absolutely nothing for them, other than contempt sometimes. Or the satisfaction of being able to use them, to further my goals, as in the case of Misa; or like the Spaceland incident, using a date as a cover to explain my reason for being on the bus to begin with.

I never felt anything for any female I dated, but I never got any sort of pleasure in seeing men around me, either. I was disgusted with everything and everyone around me, seeing the world continue to rot around me, feeling helpless to really do anything, make a difference…that's the original reason I took on the weight of being Kira; the world wasn't going to change on it's own, or so I had thought, and I took it upon myself to do the work of many people over a short period of time.

I created fear from the deaths I gave to people. I had thought myself to be a God; I could become the God of the New World and all would be under my jurisdiction, for it was obvious that the other people in the world could not take charge; they had plenty of time, money and the effort to do it, but they were failing miserably and people were suffering because of it.

I was naïve, I realize that now. My wanting to try and do something good for the world got twisted into something much darker and much more dangerous. The Death Note has a way of changing people after you use it a certain amount of times; the first time, you can still back away and decide a different course, but if you happen to use it again like I did, well…it warps you and your normal thinking. It may sound like an excuse, but I don't mean it to be…

He looks down at the paper he was writing, staying away from the main group, staying away from L as he writes. It wouldn't seem suspicious, as they were all doing paperwork as well. He wondered what kind of idiocy had caused him to start writing this stuff down. There was no way he could possibly keep it, if L or anyone else happened to stumble across it…Well, he could always burn it after, but he just felt this urge to get it all down and write. He needed some sort of release from the burden of his thoughts, for he couldn't share them with anyone. He ignores the curious glances from L's damned potential successors; Mello especially seemed to be looking at him closely, and puts his pen down to the paper again, vaguely reminded of when he used to use the Death Note.

I was stupid to think I could do it all. I was losing sight of everything, myself included. I remember when you appeared on screen for the first time, challenging me, Kira, openly. Hearing your voice speak with such conviction, even with that voice distortion, gave me that first…spark. I felt truly alive for the first time.

When I met you face-to-face the first time, I felt…humiliated.

I had never felt that way so humiliated in my life. Declaring yourself openly to me, those wide, supposedly blank, looks, your mannerisms; everything you were seemed in opposite to me, the straight-A teenager who had all the looks, the brains and the friends. And here you were, an affront to everything I was and more, and the way you just said 'I am L' and more, but you were on the same level as me. I had finally found my equal and you had to be L.

It was bitter to me, but seeing you up close, even after that humiliating experience, had me feeling that rush again, that spark, I felt alive again. And I continue to feel that way. Everytime I see you, everytime I feel you; I feel alive.

When did I know that I loved you…? When you died. Morbid, but true; I love you. I could never fathom being in love with anyone before now, but even with your idiosyncrasies, you are still much more than I could ever imagine having in a human being, much more. You are my equal, Lawliet and it was only in seeing you totally broken that I knew I could love. Will you think that fact amusing?

I wonder if you ever tell me the complete truth. You told me that you loved me, that you reciprocated my feelings, but how can I believe you when you have told me so many lies before? I fear that all you are doing is putting yourself close to me, so you can capture me as Kira. But I don't want to be Kira anymore; I can't be that entity any longer.

I've realized that over this time. I can't be the world's Savior and I can't be Kira either. It's an ideology that has some good principals but trying to change the world by mass-murder would end up causing nothing but complete fear and there would never be any rest for the one who was trying to control it all. I've realized that I was being naïve, wanting only to look at everything one way, my way; I was acting like a petulant child.

Of course you act that way too, all part of your…charm? We both hate to lose too, which is why this situation had been wearing on us both. It still wears on you because you haven't won yet, but me…I had already won and I found it too bitter to bear.

…so maybe you have already won, Lawliet. In one way at least…

Even though you're never going to read this, I, at least, finally feel a lot of weight off of my shoulders on being able to write these things down.

I was Kira…but I have had time to think about my priorities and what I see, and where I see myself going. That path…is no longer available to me, by my own choice. It was the choice I made when I demanded that Ryuk, the Shinigami who had been attached to me, bring you back to life. Yes, hard to believe Shinigami are real but you've seen Rem; I have been haunted by a Shinigami from the moment I picked up the Death Note, or damned near close anyway. The same for Misa, you know, the Second Kira.

She had her own Shinigami that haunted her as well, Rem. She had lost her memories of the Death Note, as I had. Rem had killed Watari and then you before succumbing to death. She had done all I had asked, but I had not expected to suddenly feel so much all at once.

I had been uncertain if it were even possible to bring you back, but it had to; I knew then that I couldn't stand the world as it would be, without you in it. I would no longer have that challenge in my life, that spark, that feeling. I would be alone.

I've given up everything I used to be for you…

…I can only hope that you would look me in the eyes and speak the unadulterated truth to me.

I want to know that you care about me, Lawliet. I want to know that you love me. Even as I am…or as I was; if I had never been Kira, then our paths would never have crossed, so that is one small thing that I can be thankful for in this havoc and chaos that I stirred up.

My ideals were for the people. I had only wanted to help them, but I went about it the wrong way.

If you knew for certain that I was once Kira, but that I had changed…would you still touch me with those hands, talk to me with that voice and look at me with those eyes?

With you, I cannot ever be sure about anything; even myself.

Congratulations, L Lawliet. Kira is no more.

Only Light Yagami remains.

I wonder if that will be enough for you.

\--End First Person POV--

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Four pieces of cake and three cups of coffee and tea later, he finally gets some company in his solitude, after having sent the detectives, as well as Light, Mello, Near, and Matt over to the table across the room for them to start to get to work, and so he could be left alone to think and to look through previous files and see if there could be anything, or anyone, of use to him now; but it was not Light, like he had halfway suspected (and wouldn't exactly feel very put out about it being), but Near.

Near sits in what L considered to be Light's chair, sitting in a weird position of his own, one leg out while kind of sitting on the other, twirling a piece of hair around his index finger, looking at L with a semi-serious look on his face before giving a little smile, his own dark eyes wide like L's, but he didn't have the shadows under them that the detective did.

"How large has your percentage of Light Yagami being Kira gotten to?" asked Near.

L's eyes widen slightly and he turns around to give him a better look, but a sudden shout on the screen by him, keeps him from speaking. He turns to look at the screen.

"Yes, you've heard it right, folks!" exclaimed the man on the screen, wearing a grey suit, with his hair slicked back and in a ponytail. "This is the first ever pro-Kira program, the only one and brought to you by Sakura TV!" There was a murmur of excitement from behind the man, where a crowd of people stood.

It has begun…

 


	11. It will start at Sakura TV, Part II

How wonderful that we have met with a paradox. Now we have some hope of making progress. -Niels Bohr

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

All of them were glued to the television sets in front of them, all of which were on the same thing; Sakura TV and the brand new program which had caught L's attention first; a pro-Kira program, which had scores of people behind the anchor of the program, a face unfamiliar to Lawliet and one whom he could care less about.

"We are here to bring to you the voices and faces of many of Kira's followers," said the announcer. In the background behind the man, the crowd was yelling out 'Kira!' quite clearly. "They have denounced L and the police force and are ready to talk about Kira publically."

"Are they crazy?!" exclaimed Aizawa. "Putting their faces out like this and declairing their allegiance to Kira!"

Without his say so, L's eyes drift over to Light who was looking at the show with furrowed brows and a frown. He wished he could see into Light's head, his thoughts, and not for the first time either. The teen was looking breathtaking as usual and L noticed, and Near noticed that _L_ noticed. The young teen could see just how L was looking at Light Yagami, and not quite as just as a suspect in L's investigation either. He wondered just how oblivious was the police force that was working with L was, that they didn't notice the way that L was looking over at Light Yagami, and...yes, Light's eyes turn and look into L's.

Near watches as something unseen, yet seen, passes between them and he frowns minutely. What had L gotten himself into? And with Light Yagami of all people--the most suspect person of being Kira, in Near's opinion, from what information he had gathered. With the information he had managed to gain while in Wammy's House, he had surmised that Kira was linked to the police force somehow; there was just too much that only someone close to the police force could know. Near had not shared his opinion with anyone, only telling Roger before they left that he believed he had a good grasp on who Kira might be, or at least that he believed he figured out something that would tie Kira to something else.

Seeing Light Yagami just strengthened his resolve on his theory; after all, Light was the son of the _Chief Superintendant of the NPA._ He had looked over things on Light Yagami on his laptop once he seen him, and knew he had reason to suspect him. Light was a genius, perhaps even on the level of L and could probably hack into his father's computer with ease. It was no small wonder that L kept Light as close as he possibly could, so he could watch over him at all tmes and try to catch him as Kira, but...did that closeness extend as far as sleeping with Light Yagami to continue to keep him close and in his sites? Perhaps hoping that Light might slip up and say something to him?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mello hovers a little behind Near and watches the slightly younger teen about as much as he watched the screen in front of him. He looked to be deep in thought and...was watching L and that whiz kid Yagami? Why? If Near was actually taking the time to watch over _people_ as much as what could potentially be important on the screens in front of them...he stops himself from shaking his head. The faint beeping signaled that Matt was playing on one of his handhelds, but Mello wasn't stupid enough to let himself believe that Matt wasn't also watching the screens with a keen eye as well; Matt was great at being able to multi-task on things, screen-watching one of those things, a combination of Matt's intelligence and perhaps his own diligence when it came to gaming.

Near also had a keen eye and although he could see Near glancing frequently at L and Light, he also knew that Near was also watching the screens with just as much diligence. Mello glances back at L and Light, feeling like he was watching some kind of moment--that something was passing between the world's greatest detective and his prime suspect in his case--Mello also had ways of getting information, Near wasn't the only one able, or smart enough too--and it was a moment that only them two knew about...or shared. If he didn't know any better, than he would think that it had to do with intimacy. As in L and the teen... _together_.

Mello wasn't naive about these sorts of things, he and Matt sometimes fooled around when they were bored or couldn't find anyone else that they wanted to be with--they were best friends and the intimacy they sometimes shared only strengthened that friendship, it didn't weaken it and he knew Matt shared that sentiment. But Mello wasn't sure if either one of them liked men or not; he knew that Light had a girlfriend named Misa Amane--who was a famous up and coming model/actress--but that didn't necessarily mean that he didn't also like men as well. Mello fooled around with girls just as much as men, although because the person who he liked most was male...(he deliberately keeps his gaze away from Near at this thought)...as well as his best friend (and someone who he also liked quite well) was male, he could see it from both perspectives.

With someone like Light, it was hard to tell (plus there was the fact that Light _could_ be with L, if only to keep L strategically closer so the suspicion on him would lessen), but with L it was even harder so, as he never imagined L with _anyone,_ (then again he never imagined that the world's greatest detective looked just like he did) but in a strange way...they kind of fit. Maybe it was the whole 'opposites attract' thing, but they seemed to...mesh well together, in a weird way. They looked and sounded like complete opposites, but both were geniuses (he wasn't afraid to admit that Light Yagami was, if he wasn't then L wouldn't keep him so close, and he wouldn't suspect him of being Kira.)

He glances at Light, who notices him looking at him and L and turns back to the screens, with what seemed to be a faint blush on his cheeks. Interesting. Maybe it wasn't so far-fetched after all... The sudden quiet, from what had been a loud crowd on the television screen, gains his attention and he looks back at the screens.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Who would like to speak first about who they are and why they follow Kira?" asked the announcer, looking, and gesturing at, the crowd. A girl pushes through the crowd and stands up on the slightly heightened stage. The background was of a nighttime city, it looked as though they were all on what was normally used as a late-night talkshow stage. "Yes! We have our first person; maybe you'd like to say a few words?"

The girl pushes back her long black hair with a nervous gesture and nods. "My name is Ayame Hitoshi. I follow Kira as everyone else does, because it is the right thing to do. Kira is trying to lead us to a peaceful and an enlightened age--all he wants is a peaceful world that people can walk down the street on and no longer fear what might happen to them. That is something that I wish for. I was raped over six months ago and my rapist was caught, but the bastard police and goverment did not prosecute him! But Kira did! Kira showed righteous justice and killed him! He gave me back a piece of what I had lost and for that I will always follow Kira. He is my--and our--savior."

One by one, more people were coming up. Another girl named Ryoko Takahashi, a guy named Hitoshi Nakano. Another man stood up there briefly, who had black hair, a black crisp suit and glasses and spoke softly--named Teru Mikami and others as well. And only briefly took a small intermission in their broadcast--perhaps they were going to let _all_ of them speak, but then something happened that was unexpected--the show came back on quite suddenly, the crowd was talking amongst themselves and the announcer was talking to someone off-screen with the words; "Man, I can't believe I'm doing this shit, who really gives a fuck about Kira _or_ the damned police, if it wasn't for the money they're paying m--"

The man stops suddenly in mid-sentence and his eyes widen, making a choking sound. L sits in his position a little straighter, for the look and body expression that the man made was unmistakable..."Kira!" exclaimed someone behind him, he wasn't sure just who. The man lets out a hoarse scream from his throat and collapses to the ground. There were clamors from off-screen, with people rushing up onto the stage--distantly he hears Mello calling out to Near who turns to look at him, and this happens just in the moment that L notices something. Something very important.

It was from the soft spoken one --the man who said his name was Teru Mikami, the man who had proclaimed Kira to be a God, his God, other people's God, and that Kira was passing judgment over all and that some of his followers were also doing things for Kira, in the name of Kira (which struck L as odd when he said it, wondering just if perhaps...)-- he was putting something away back into his jacket, something that made L's blood run cold at the same instance that it sparked something inside him; it said _Death Note_ on the cover.

Mikami had just used a Death Note to kill the man, and that helped put together a few stray bits that L had been thinking about lately, from these latest killings and all. _Mikami_ was the one doing the killings; he had a Death Note and Light didn't have access to the Death Notes at the moment. _Mikami_ was the one who was walking out there free constantly and Light had only been gone briefly from the building one day, and there was the fact that...he--he trusted Light, or if it wasn't trust (as well as love) that he was feeling, then it had to be as close to the factor that he could possibly get to.

Mikami was the Fourth Kira, he had to be; the direct evidence was right in front of his eyes. It would be hard for normal people to notice that fact, that he had a Death Note which he hid away, and he sincerely doubted that most of them in the room noticed what he did (meaning mostly the detectives, while he suspected with a high probability that Light, Near, Mello and Matt could notice it. Out of those four he actually surmised that Matt would notice it first as he was a rather specialist in being able to multi-task and watch multiple screens at once.)

The screens all suddenly go off as he knew Sakura TV had shut off the broadcast. His eyes blink and glance around at those nearest to him. Near had his eyes back on the television, but which turn to look at L when the show shuts off suddenly. Lawliet wonders if Near had caught it (the percentage was uncertain as he hadn't been able to watch Near's habits and mannerisms very long) and actually hoped that he hadn't. Because...

He looks at Mello, who was now sitting next to Matt, munching on a bar of chocolate. He sat rather cockily in the chair, legs spread out, with an arm on one of the arm rests, but his eyes looked keen and sharp. (The percentage of Mello seeing something versus Near could almost be considered larger because of this, but he then remembered that Mello had spoken to Near in the moment that L seen Mikami and so it was doubtful that _either_ of them had noticed...hopefully.)

He knew less about Matt, real name Mail Jeevas, than the other two but he knew that Matt also had a sharp intellect and was a very, very smart mind as well. But Matt lacked the driving factor that had both Mello and Near constantly vying for the number one position so they could be the heir to the L name. (Though he personally didn't plan to retire anytime soon _or_ name a successor, though if someone actually managed to pressure him on it, he would actually name _Light_ as his successor; he had actually been telling Light the complete truth on that point.) There was also the factor of Matt's constant need to be gaming, so that could possibly lessen the chance that he noticed Mikami (who had been in the background) as well.

Either way, L had the answer that he had been searching for when he realized that he would not let Light be Kira any longer, and in doing so, had to find a replacement to be Kira. Well, he found it.

He would make Teru Mikami into the First Kira and after he did, he would use all his power to crush him and solve the Kira case once and for all, keeping Light at his side all the while.

Perhaps bringing in Mello, Near and Matt could be a bad idea in the end, but they also had fresh perspectives and maybe he could use something from them to take Mikami (as well as Amane) down. Plus this case would be a great, the best kind of, learning experience from them; they would be able to learn actual skills in the field of detective work and on the other end, L could use more of his own capabilities to their fullest to keep them from getting Light as the First Kira.

Things were looking up; he was more than up to the challenges that were going to inevitably come his way and he was ready to greet them...and take them down.

 


	12. Revelations

" _My work is a game, a very serious game." -Maurits Corneille Escher_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He wondered if Mello had caught it on the screen; for that matter, he wondered if Near did as well. He rather doubted though, as they had been both turned towards each other in almost the exact moment as he noticed something on one of the screens (Mello had suddenly called out for Near and Near had turned towards him.)

It had been a small thing, but one which had garnered his attention; more especially when L had told them much more information than he had when they first arrived. A lot of it had sounded out there and untrue, but it was L who was saying it, so he didn't doubt it was real, even if a _notebook of death_ was one of the craziest things that he had ever heard.

And the whole notebook thing made more sense to him because of what he had seen when he was screen-watching hours earlier. He had seen the man who had called himself Teru Mikami putting away a notebook, catching the word _Death Note_. So the man used the killing notebook to kill that stupid announcer guy then, huh?

He curses softly as his character falls down a hole and turns the game off in disgust; it wasn't like he hadn't beaten it over fifty-eight times already. He stands up out of one of the armchairs that was in the room, and goes off searching for Mello, who had taken off somewhere a few moments after L and Light Yagami both went off somewhere together without saying where they were going, glancing over at a figure on the floor and leaves the room.

Something odd was going on there, he just wasn't quite up to date as to what it was. Of course, L had told them that Light had once been a minor suspect of his but had been quickly cleared without incident. From what he had learned, and heard, about Light Yagami, Matt could see just why L would have reason to suspect him; after all, Light Yagami was a brilliant mind (one supposedly on par with L's!), and a sexy body to boot!

He didn't think it would take much if Light was actually Kira, that he could get many, female and male alike, to do what he wanted them to do. But L had said to them in private (it had just been him, along with L, Mello and Near in one of the rooms down the hallway from the workarea) that Light was completely cleared and L wouldn't just say something like that so casually...

He puts his handheld away and keeps on going in search of his best friend and sometimes lover.

Matt stops when he sees Mello standing at a corner, seeming to be staring at something, though the Third in line of succession to L couldn't see anything. He touches Mello's shoulder with a gloved hand, with Mello jumping slightly and turning to strike in the next moment. Matt grabs the fist without issue; Mello had been taught to be wary of sudden movements, even in a place where you were supposedly safe, because that safe place could always turn dangerous.

Matt knew that Mello would react that way, but he was used to it, and he liked to get the jump on Mello whenever he could because Mello usually had very keen ears and his keenness made Matt work harder on his own walking in silence and things like that; they complimented each other well.

He really cared about Mello, loved him even (though Mello didn't know this), but he also seen the way that Mello would look at Near when he thought no one else was looking. He knew that these good feelings bothered Mello because the Second in line of succession to L wanted to be _first_.

And having good feelings towards the first in succession, good feelings towards _Near_ confused Mello, although this _did_ allow Matt to become closer to Mello intimately because Mello needed to slake those desires _somewhere_ (plus he _liked_ Matt and Matt was in no way put out about having to put out).

Matt himself liked Near really well as well. He never harbored any of the anger towards Near that Mello did, but then again, he never tried as hard as he could to get any higher in succession because he didn't really want it all that much.

He wanted to make Mello happy, and that was most of the reason that Matt put as much effort into the work at Wammy's House like he did. He was a sharp mind with much intellect as well, he just lacked the drive that both Near and Mello had.

Mello drops his hand and looks at his friend. He looked quite delectable in all of that leather, a sleeveless leather vest with tight leather pants and short black boots to go with it. He also wore a silver crucifix on his chest, though Matt still wasn't quite sure why (maybe to go with the outfit?), because he never saw Mello pray or go to church service (like some of the other orphans at Wammy's House did) and Mello never said anything to him about something like that.

"Mel," he said. "What's wrong? You were just staring at the wall. How long have you been standing here?"

Mello takes a step forward towards Matt and shakes his head, looking over at the wall again before turning back to his friend.

"L lied to us, Matt." Mello said. "He told us that Light Yagami was completely cleared of being Kira, but that contradicts what I heard them talking about; I followed them because I was curious of the interaction between them and they didn't disappoint--"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-- Flashback--OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It appeared as if L was done speaking to them, and they had learned much more than they knew before hand. He glances at Matt who takes out one of his handhelds as L moves to leave, surprising Mello as he had held off so long, but then again it was _L_ who was talking to them and Matt knew when to do things and when not to do them; he just usually ignored that rule unless it was for someone really important (of which Mello was proud to say he was one of).

There was a sudden knock at the door and it opens with Light Yagami standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Light said. He sounded like such a smooth talker; all the ladies must be all over him (and maybe some of the men?) "But there's something that needs your attention, Ryuuzaki and it can't wait."

He sees L glance briefly at all of them, Near still being silent and sort of laying on the floor putting together some toy robots for who knew what reason and Matt going to town on his videogame, not looking up either. L nods and follows Light and the door quickly closes behind them.

He waits for a brief moment before standing up himself, curious as to where they were going to (maybe just back to the work-room, but from the look on Yagami's face and the sudden stillness of L, maybe not) and walks past Matt and Near both, both who didn't make any comment of any kind, and perhaps didn't even notice him walking by, and opens the door quietly, taking special care of just how he opened the doorknob and how far.

He was glad of the training he had taken in such cases as this and opens the door just enough for him to slip through. The padding of the carpet in the hallway helped to muffle the sounds of his boots but he still took extra care because one of the people he was following was L and he knew that L was incredible, even if he didn't know just all of Light Yagami's skills yet.

They turn a corner and he moves cautiously to the wall to look around the corner and his eyes widen with the sight; L and Light Yagami were _kissing_! He could even hear the soft little sounds in their throat as their lips moved over one another's. He felt a jolt in his own groin from just watching them.

Finally they pull their lips apart, though they were still wrapped up in an embrace, arms wrapped around each other, with Light's back to the wall. They both looked pleasantly flushed and Light smiles at L.

"So what did you and your _successors_ talk about?" Asked Light teasingly.

L shakes his head slightly. "Light-kun, I still suspect you of being Kira; I cannot divulge such information."

Light doesn't take offense to this, though Mello heard L clearly say that he _still_ suspected Light of being Kira...when he just told all of them just moments earlier that Light was _completely cleared_! What the fuck?! Light in fact just laughs softly at L.

"Yet you've _divulged_ quite a bit of information that you _probably_ shouldn't since you _still_ suspect me of being Kira; you're such a contradiction. You also slept with me; I would think that would be a bigger breach of protocol than my asking a simple question."

They had fucked then? So was L being led by his cock then or what? Mello found that he couldn't stop watching them. L puts a finger to his mouth.

"Hmm...you may be right, Light-kun." Stated L.

"And you also told me that you loved me, well I told you I loved you as well, but you clearly said it. I think that would also be a breach of protoc--shfmp." He gets shut up at the last minute by L kissing him and seemed happy to be shut up and they stayed that way for a moment.

They were all over each other, kissing and groping; they were _this_ involved with each other (and Mello could see quite early on the signs between them two and he had been right) and _still_ none of the detectives seemed to notice anything, though he figured that the two were rather glad of that fact. (Light's father would probably go ape-shit before falling over from a heart attack or something.)

They finally pull away again (not before he catches Light squeeze L's ass once).

"...I told them all about the Death Note and all..." L mumbled against Light's shoulder. They were both exactly the same height, but L was always slouching and Light seemed to rather like having L so close and he was rubbing L's back in circles. Mello couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"And?" Light prompted.

"I told them that I suspected you of being the First Kira and I was keeping a weathered eye on you still," A blatant lie! "And I told them that I would allow them to see the Death Note, though the Shinigami Rem has since passed on to wherever she...why is it that I'm telling you this again, Light-kun?" He looks up at him.

"You love me?" Light grins.

L looks thoughtful, a finger at his mouth again. "That is a true statement but I don't believe that is enough to make me spill anything."

"You wouldn't say more than you wanted to anyway, so it doesn't matter. If you didn't want me to know anything, then you wouldn't say anything, or you would say just whatever."

L blinks slowly before giving Light a little smile that Mello was rather shocked to see; he hadn't expected the world's greatest detective to show such emotion.

"It sometimes frightens me to see how easily you can see through me, Light-kun. And I do love you," whispered L, looking into Light's eyes. "Even if I suspect that you are the greatest mass-murder that this world has ever known."

Light's head moves down. "And I know that I'm not."

They kiss.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--End Flashback--OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He looks at Matt who looked surprised with the information that Mello had just divulged to him.

"So what now then?"

"L said to Light that he still suspected him, but he didn't say with 100 percent certainty that he was Kira. And the biggest deal seems to be with this newest Kira out there right now; it definitely doesn't seem like it's the First Kira, whether or not the First Kira is Light Yagami is up for debate." Mello said, scratching the side of his face briefly.

"I think we should work on catching this newest Kira along with the Second and the First (and others if anymore pop up)," he continued. "If Light Yagami is the First Kira, then we'll catch him, but there is still the possibility that someone else is, otherwise L would have made sure to put him away; despite what I seen and heard I know that L would put Light Yagami away if he knew with complete certainty that he truly is Kira."

Matt smiles at his friend, leaning in to give him a quick little kiss, smiling when Mello blinks in surprise. "Let's get started then."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He watches Mello and Matt walk off and twirls a piece of his hair around his finger. That was quite interesting information. It just strengthened his theory that Light Yagami was Kira. And with the information L himself had told them (though apparently he had lied either to them about Light being cleared or to Light about still being a suspect; it wasn't clear which was truth and which was the lie, though Near would be working with the assumption that Light Yagami _was_ the First Kira.)

L had also given them much more freedom when it came to how they worked; perhaps because he had enough people working closely with him as it was, or perhaps because he wanted them to come to their own conclusions by their own merit...he wasn't sure. It was rather like a dream to be here; be here working with L, seeing L, _talking_ with L, even if it wasn't as much as Mello, the talking that is (he didn't feel the need to be as talkative as the Second was.)

The world's greatest detective was someone who he aspired to be like, to try and be _better than_ if he could. But it was nice just to be able to work beside him and to see his genius mind at work. And because L had given them such freedom, along with their own individual rooms (all on the same floor as the work-room and L's), it made it that much easier for what Near was doing and needed to _continue_ doing.

He shuffles back in the door he (and everyone else) came out of; which turned out to be his new room. He supposed it was nicely furnished and all of that; but he was just glad of the ample space that it provided. There were already a large set of robots set on the floor in a strange pattern that probably only he could understand, a big cardboard box which was turned on its side to reveal boxes of some kind of cards. He couldn't take very much with him, but that didn't matter; the most important items were already elsewhere.

He sits on the edge of the large bed and grabs the phone that sat on the nightstand beside the bed. After a quick look over it, he grabs the phone, putting it to his ear and dialing a number quickly into the keypad without even looking at it.

It rings exactly seven times before it gets picked up; that was to tell Near that the other side he was speaking to was secure as well.

"Near?"

"Is everything ready?"

"It is."

"Good. Call Lidner and Rester in and...thanks Gevanni."

"Of course, Near."

 


	13. Emotional Definition

_A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it. -G.K. Chesterton_

Piles of papers were stacked precariously next to one another. A small pale hand would grab a piece of paper from different stacks, seemingly randomly, but was not. The other hand was occupied with flying around a small toy robot around. The floor was littered with toys as well as the paper; in fact the toys outnumbered the paper at least 30 to 1. Set around the room were a couple of desks that held computers and many, many screens held above them.

After a time, the pale figure lying on the floor finally sets the robot down, putting it into a standing position with its arms held up high, surrounded by five other robots which were standing in a neutral position around the figure. Another robot was behind the robot with its arms held high, sitting in what would be a kneeling position. He then sets a more feminine figure to stand next to the main robot, to where it looked as if it was clinging to the lead robot.

He was just positioning three slightly smaller robots, one by itself across from the main group, and the other two on the opposite side, when approaching footsteps make him finally look up from what he was doing. It was Gevanni.

"I looked through the files like you asked, Near." Gevanni said. "It was made easier by the fact that we _are_ F.B.I and my going down there didn't look all that suspici--" He stops as he comes to stand further in the room, staring at the piles of paper. He grabs a random piece from a stack and starts to read it. "...Naomi Misora, reported missing after a week's time with no word to her family, a secretary remembered seeing Misora in the company of Light Yagami at NPA headquarters and was her last reported sighting...don't tell me that L let you take all of this out of his building?"

Near shakes his head, moving to a upright position as he looked up at Gevanni. "Of course not; L wouldn't let _anyone_ no matter what the reason. No...I wrote all of this down myself and am going over it all."

The older man looks at him with a mixture of surprise and awe. "You wrote all of this down from memory?" He gestures at the many stacks of paper which were all filled with words, painstakingly written down with a rather beautiful penmanship. Near just shrugs and the older man shakes his head, still trying to adjust to the genius of the fifteen year old.

"And what did you find, Gevanni?" Near asked suddenly, reminding Gevanni just what he had been starting to say before getting sidetracked by genius at work.

"Light Yagami was one of two that was being followed by Raye Pember," stated Gevanni, glancing at the odd assortment of robots that littered the floor. Lidner and Rester were off doing something else for Near, he wasn't sure what, as they didn't always do the same things at the same time.

It had only been a short while since they had started working with Near, but he could see just how smart the younger man was...and how unused to the world around him. Gevanni's very first impression of Near, who had came with a man named Roger to F.B.I Headquarters, was that he was cold, but that quickly changed after a short time. He could see that Near had a hard time of expressing the things that others did so easily, but he very much felt them the same as everyone else. Near just lacked the social skills that many took for granted, and Gevanni found himself...fond of him.

"Raye Pember was also on the Spaceland bus, as you know, but the bus driver that was interviewed could not remember anyone else's face beside the robber who acted so erratically. He said something about 'monster' and started shooting at the air before running off the bus and getting struck by a car."

Near glances aside, wrapping a bit of hair around his finger. "The 'monster' could possibly be a Shinigami...he may have somehow touched the Death Note or a part of it...no...let's see." He seemed to be gathering his thoughts before he spoke again. "I've learned about the Death Note and have told all of you what I was told by L and if the last person Raye Pember was following was Light Yagami...then it is entirely possible that he followed him onto the Spaceland bus. We know that the Death Note can control a persons actions up to a certain extent up to 23 days...so it is possible that Yagami controlled the robber before letting him get struck by the car."

Gevanni looks at him intently, waiting for him to continue.

"It would be entirely possible that Light made it to where the robber touched the Death Note, even just a fragment of the Note would work and then the Shinigami would be seen. This in turn would frighten the man and cause him to do the first thing that comes to him; which is to shoot at the 'monster' in front of him to kill it. Obviously it didn't go good for the robber because he empties the gun and demands that the bus driver open the door...and then he gets struck by a car which kills him."

He looks up at the older man who was staring at him and feels a strange little fluttering in his belly that he had not felt before, so he could not define what it meant. Gevanni seems to shake out of it and nods.

"Well...that is entirely possible with all that we know now." Murmured Gevanni. "Naomi Misora was also Raye Pember's fiancee and she disappears a short time after being seen briefly with Light Yagami--and believe me when I say that it wasn't easy to find the secretary who had seen them--and Raye Pember died shortly after having been following Light Yagami around. It seems almost too good to be true, and the information we've been uncovering hasn't been easy...if Light Yagami is really Kira...then he's done a damned good job covering it up."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Teru Mikami, 22; he's a criminal justice attorney. And you said you saw him holding a Death Note too?" He asked the slightly younger man next to him.

"Yeah. I'm kind of surprised that you did too as you called out to Near in almost the same moment; why did you do that anyway?" Matt asked, rubbing a nearly gone cigarette into a small bowl which he was using as a makeshift ashtray.

Mello shrugs, looking at his friend/sometimes lover who was looking over at him, looking awfully cute in the striped shirt and vest that he always wore. He felt wave of desire that surprised him of its extent; he knew that he was attracted to Matt; they had had sex a few times before, but he had never felt it so strongly before. Maybe he was just finally starting to see Matt for something different than friend and sometimes lover. He had liked Matt even before the one day that they suddenly found themselves fooling around with each other, but he was not the type of person to admit something like that so easily.

He wore his emotions on his sleeve in some ways more than Near or Matt, but the personal feelings of the heart were always one which he had a harder time showing; friendship was easy, but something more intimate that that which he was feeling...

He mentally shakes his head of the thoughts and looks at Matt, who was waiting patiently as always. "I don't know why; maybe because I had the half-thought in my head that was wondering if he noticed it too, but I think my call got to him before he could see, but I could always be wrong...Near is as good as you are at screen watching." Matt knew that Mello liked Near more than he said so, but even so, for Mello to admit to Near being so good at something...it always made him happier to see them getting along a little bit better at a time.

He just didn't want to think about how Mello might be picturing the number one at Wammy's House when they were...together; he didn't want to think of that at all.

"I think that we should tail Mikami for awhile and see what his patterns are; I can watch his house and such once we've bugged it," like he didn't think that they wouldn't be able to. "And you can tail him in other locations for awhile." He watches as Mello's face contorts into surprise. He raises a brow. "What? I don't have the same I.Q that you or Near do, but I do _have_ brains--"

Mello shakes his head. "That's not what I was surprised about and you know it; I was just surprised that you offered that up. You're not usually so forward with things; usually you just let me take the lead and seem to be content to follow..." They glance at each other and they both knew that also meant other things as well, more intimate things... "You almost never offer up things to do, even though I know that we both think alike most of the time. And what the hell are you talking about? You're fucking third at Wammy's House and I know better than anyone just how smart you are, so don't pull that shit on m--"

He gets cut off when Matt suddenly grabs onto him and gives him a kiss. Perhaps it was just the enviromental differences of their situation, but Matt found himself wanting, _wanting,_ wanting _Mello,_ but then again, he had always wanted him, he just never said anything about it...

Matt shudders when Mello thrusts his tongue inside the younger teen's mouth, licking his lips before kissing him hard. Matt was quite content to let Mello lead, for he was a better follower than a leader and Mello lead so _well..._ But the position was becoming uncomfortable, (in more ways than one, as his awakening erection was pointing out--literally) and he breaks the kiss.

Mello lets out a little sound in his throat before letting out a slight moan when Matt moves from his chair and situates himself into the older teen's lap. He felt quite comfortable now. He leans forward and rubs himself slowly in Mello's lap. Mello's arms snake around him and hold him close. There was no other place that Matt would rather be, and there was no place that made him feel as safe as being in Mello's arms.

"Matt," Mello whispers. Matt wanted to be nice and allow Mello to see if he really liked Near...but he couldn't. He was selfish, but he didn't care. Mello was _his_ , as much as he belonged to Mello. Could he tell Mello these feelings of inside of him, or should he just put them deep inside of himself and try and be happy with things as they were? "I want you, Matt."

Mello grabs him and kisses him hard and Matt lets all his worries fade away and just lets himself revel in all of the emotions that he was experiencing and the man in front of him who he loved.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She stares at the sight in front of her, unable to quite comprehend what exactly she was seeing. She felt rage bubble up inside of her as she sees the arms that were so blatantly holding onto her, _her,_ Light! She had been coming to say goodnight to Light, as she had been unable to see him like she wanted to and after getting pointed to the right direction by Matsuda (who had been nice enough to let her in; the other detectives were either snoozing or gone), she comes to Ryuuzaki's room.

Opening the door slightly, she gets greeted to the sight of a sleeping pair of lovers on the bed. Obviously lovers; she wasn't as dense as some people thought, and their naked skin which was wrapped around one another, was only covered slightly by a sheet.

Ryuuzaki and Light...they were...!

She loved her Light, but this was something that she could not, _would not_ , stand! It became quite obvious that Light had no intension of ever being with her (as he had kissed her only once before and didn't seem to have any inclination to do anything more with her) and was so obviously with Ryuuzaki that she felt her heart rip into shreds and her soul cried out in anguish and in rage.

Kira was turning his back on everything he had been working on, working _for_! She closes the door and hurries back out, ignoring Matsuda's exclamation towards her as she hurries on by him. Once she leaves the building, she keeps on running, not even sure where she was going, ignoring the murmurs of the people around her, not noticing that she passes by a surprised Mogi and Aizawa who look at her in surprise.

Rain starts to fall from the sky and she quickly becomes soaked, though she takes no notice of it. Tears and rain mix as they both fall down her cheeks and she starts to turn a corner, blocks and blocks away from L's headquarters now, and literally bumps into someone, causing her to fall onto her rump.

"S-sorry," she hiccups, tears still falling down her face and mingling liberally with the raindrops. She looks up when a hand comes into view; a handsome man in black was looking down at her, with one hand outstretched.

The other was holding a Death Note.

"You look lost," murmured the man.

 _He_ was the one that everyone was looking for! The new Kira!

She takes his hand and stands up, rain and tears forgotten.

"Not anymore." She said, smiling.

 


	14. You learn something new everyday

_Most modern freedom is at root fear. It is not so much that we are too bold to endure rules; it is rather that we are too timid to endure responsibilities. -G.K. Chesterton_

He was a rather easy man to track, really. He had a set routine that made it quite easy to tail him, though they had not gotten as far as setting up cameras in his apartment yet, or bugging it. But they were making progress with the tailing, learning his routine, where he went on certain days and everything. Some of the things were minor details, but then again it was also the minor details which were overlooked by most people and they missed important things because of it.

It wasn't exactly fun a lot of the time; since he had such a set schedule and most stuff he did was pretty boring, but Matt took it all in stride, knowing that it had to be done and he couldn't slack off, though he was good at multi-tasking, so he could still play some video games while he waited for Mikami to get his groceries, or something boring like that.

Mello, meanwhile, was finishing up the cameras and bugging devices that they were going to plant in Mikami's house. He didn't think there would be any trouble getting into the place; he had done stuff like this a few times before and Mikami had less security than some of the places that he and Matt had to get into. He was also doing some of the tailing as well, so Matt had time to rest and _he_ could work on the devices while Mello trailed Mikami.

They were given complete freedom by L and this helped them immensely. In fact, he seemed to want to let them come to their own conclusions and do things their own way completely, while he himself, on the other hand, seemed to be focused solely on catching Kira and Kira alone...though with what Mello and Matt knew now, they knew that he wasn't trying to catch Light Yagami...if Light was indeed Kira that is, so that meant that he too, must be focusing his attentions on someone else instead of Light ( _if_ Light was the First Kira that is, they still were not sure about that yet) as they were; Teru Mikami.

Mello was half-tempted to tell L all about what they were exactly doing, but decided against it. Even if they were all working towards the same goal (though he had no clue what Near was doing), he wanted to do things on his own, with Matt, and not rely on L or anyone else, because he wanted to catch Kira himself. Him and Matt together, no one else. He wanted to do things on _his_ terms and it was obvious that Near was doing the same, though he doubted as to whether or not Near would tell him what he was doing as well.

Near was working somewhere else other than L's headquarters, because he was hardly in his rooms and usually only surfaced for awhile in the workarea where L and Light worked with the rest of the detectives. Mello took this exclusion that Near was doing in a positive way, because it let him and Matt work away from the others, but without having to worry about someone right across the hallway who could peer in and spy on what they were doing.

L... _L_ was fucking Light Yagami, who he said was not a Kira suspect to him, Matt and Near, but when he talked to Light, said that he still suspected him. Mello was unsure of what to believe, but he damn well knew that L was so obvious in lust with Light, and vice-versa that he was surprised that the detectives hadn't noticed, but supposed that they were just quite oblivious or didn't want to acknowledge anything that they saw.

L was his fucking idol, the only man that he ever respected. Hearing L say what he did when he spoke to the group at Wammy's House awhile back, he knew that he wanted to be like L, _become_ the next L and it made him work even harder to become number one.

He was always so close, _so_ close. And as much as he liked Near--though at first he didn't want to admit it to himself or anyone and he sure as hell didn't _want_ to like Near at first--he always got so pissed off because no matter how hard he studied, studied, studied, he was always secondbest next to Nate fucking River and Near never seemed to study; Mello could never remember seeing him with books studying, no, it was always those damned _toys_ that Near played with.

Always secondbest.

But not anymore.

He rolls over and holds the sleeping form of Matt closer, kissing him softly.

He would prove himself, to Near, to L, to _everyone_ , that he deserved to be number one and he _would_. Mikami would never know what hit him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Would it be possible to get our hands on the video tape of the NPA on the day that Naomi Misora was seen with Light Yagami?" Asked Near.

He was away from L's headquarters again, though he had yet to be asked by L or anyone else in that building just where he was going off to. L was giving him free rein over what he wanted to do and go over things and he liked that; it made working that much easier. Plus, L seemed pretty occupied with Light Yagami and catching Teru Mikami as Kira, though Near didn't have any doubt that Light Yagami was Kira or that L _also_ knew that fact.

L was his hero; the man he respected more than anyone. He didn't really like that L was letting his heart rule so much of him; it wasn't like him. But L was also doing all he could to catch Mikami who was also a Kira and while he was focusing on that, Near could do what he could to catch Kira. He didn't doubt L's ability, far from it, and he still respected, even idolized the man, but he couldn't allow Kira to run wild.

But such an action from L, to keep Light close, even while knowing he's Kira and trying to capture someone else...it was unlike L, and Near didn't think that lust was the only factor in L's decision...and he was curious as to what it was.

Robots filled the floor, like before, but now there were a few additions. Behind the standalone robot which stood across from the group in the middle and the two on the opposite side, there were three new robots. One stood nearly side by side the standalone robot, and the other two stood right behind them. There was also a robot which stood away from them all, standing alone right above the main group of robots in the middle and a robot with wings stood in between the standalone and the main group.

Near himself plucks up the robot which was kneeling and starts to wave it around in his hand as he looks up at Gevanni and Rester; Rester had just arrived back and Lidner was still doing some field work.

"I doubt we could get it with their permission, no, not if they suspect that w _e_ suspect Light Yagami." Said Rester.

Near raises an eyebrow and just looks at Rester.

"...We could ask for footage from before and after that date however, so it wouldn't look suspicious." Continued Rester. "And we might get more footage of Yagami that could be useful."

Near nods. "Good, thank you. Also, if we can try and get any footage of any cameras on left and right of the NPA, that would be good as well. I'm not sure which way she went, but it's possible that she left with Light Yagami in tow and we might even catch something happening. And the tape of the pro-Kira program where the announcer got killed. Try your hardest on those two."

Rester nods. "I'll be back shortly." He leaves quickly, leaving Near to turn to Gevanni. "Light Yagami is now able to go outside as he pleases (though he hasn't done much of it yet), so if you would tail him when I give you the word, that would be greatly appreciated." Near said and Gevanni nods.

"He probably won't be going out too much while all of this is going on right now, from what I gathered from what you told me," said Gevanni. "Perhaps I should focus on tailing Mikami as well, while Rester gathers all that footage and Light Yagami is indoors. Even if Light Yagami is Kira and we are focusing our main focus on him, Mikami may also be working with him or may try to find a way to contact Kira."

Near twirls a piece of hair around his finger, setting the robot in his other hand back down to its kneeling position right next to the Arms Outstretched Robot. Near found it quite disconcerting that he couldn't quite look the man in the eye. That funny feeling was back, or rather he should say, it hadn't left and he didn't know what to do with it. He quickly realized that it only happened whenever Gevanni was around.

Could he be... _attracted_ to the man? But he had never been attracted to anyone before, other than a small insignificant crush that he had on Mello that he quickly let slip away because he knew it could lead to nowhere. But this...it was disconcerting and new and had no place being here in this moment, not when he had Kira to capture.

Male or female didn't matter but to find himself feeling something so new when he had something so _important_ to do...would it be okay to feel this way or would it be best to try and squash it down (not that would really help as he kind of already tried to and didn't work like it did with his crush on Mello).

If he was too distracted by these newly awakened feelings in him, then he might make a mistake and he absolutely could not have that. So he needed some kind of release, some kind of way to let these feelings ebb down and settle. He just didn't know _how_...maybe...

"Near?" He jerks his head up slightly to see Gevanni kneeling in front of him; he hadn't even noticed him move! He couldn't let himself get distracted by this! Kira was the top priority; feelings like these had no place in his world. They _couldn't_...

He didn't know what his face was showing, but Gevanni's eyes widen and he stares at him.

His heart starts to pound when Gevanni moves in closer to him.

"Near..."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He couldn't stop looking at him. He was mesmerized by the sight of him and he felt it _wrong, wrong wrong. Wrong_ when he feels himself harden, _wrong_ when he leans in closer, _wrong_ because he was being led by temptation and she was a cruel mistress, making us want things that we probably shouldn't.

 _Wrong_ because he moves in and kisses Near without another thought. He shudders when Near gives a gasp and shudders himself. He lets out a groan when he couldn't stop himself from kissing him, from running his tongue inside of that warm mouth and when Near kisses him back, moving his arms around his neck.

 _Wrong, wrong,_ _ **wrong,**_ but god it had never felt like that before with anyone.

He falls back on his butt and Near leans in, arms still wrapped around his neck and kissing him fervently. Gevanni felt his own hands move of their own volition, but when his hands start to touch the skin underneath Near's pajama shirt, he freezes. He pulls his mouth away.

"I-I shouldn't," he gasps. "This is...I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't. Move away, push me away, don't let me--!" He moans when Near kisses him, shutting him up effectively. His legs move apart and he shudders when Near moves up against him and his erection. He was shocked to feel Near in quite the same state, but he couldn't stop himself, couldn't help himself and when his hands move to Near's shirt again, this time they don't hesitate.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mikami was on another program, this one was a program which talked of politics and things, Kira included. Many people that were on the program were protesting what Kira was doing as much as the other half, Mikami included, were _for_ Kira's ideals. Though Mikami must be hating the anti-Kira people, L surmised, he knew that Mikami would make no moves against them; _yet_.

He was too noticeble this time, with no crowd to hide behind and he would wait and see if they would die sometime later. He writes down the names of the anti-Kira people, because Mikami could be patient and wait awhile before killing them, so he wouldn't seem suspicious.

But today, L had gotten a big break (which pleased him because although he was going to do everything he possibly could to capture Mikami as the First Kira, he didn't know if he could do it all on lies and fabrications alone, so this was a plus); he had found the record, the _only_ record, of those who were on that Spaceland bus that day, (apparently you had to use your I.D when getting a ticket and it kept a track record that way, in case there was ever a mishap and they could block your I.D if you were deemed a bad customer or a criminal or the like.)

It had taken some searching and there was no other like it, but he finally got his hands on it and it told him all he needed to know. The name Light Yagami was on there, as well as Raye Pember and down the line to the name _Teru Mikami_.

He had been on that same bus that day as Light had. It was obvious that Light had no recollection of anyone else on the bus that day--Mikami seemed the type who would keep his head down, be quiet, and do his own thing--because Light did not show any sort of surprise or anything even close to surprise when Mikami was on the television screen on the pro-Kira program, or even now.

The program soon goes off and L turns to Light (the detectives were off getting something to eat, other than Mogi who was working quietly as always over in the corner.)

"Light-kun, I believe that I could use your help with something," said L, putting a finger to his mouth as he stands out of his chair. Light turns to him and the look on L's face must have been quite revealing (in more ways than one) because Light blushes slightly but nods all the same and stands up as well. L turns to Mogi.

"We will be back shortly, Mogi-san, if you would tell the other detectives the same." Mogi turns to him and nods before turning back to his work.

As he and Light leave and head down the hallway, he shakes his head.

"If only someone like Matsuda-san did things the way Mogi-san did, it would make everything much better." Light laughs.

It was silent until they come to their door. L thought of it as _their_ door now as they slept in the same room and had lots of sex in it as well. Intense sexual pleasure had become a nice plus for Lawliet. He opens the door and pushes Light inside, closing it hard behind him and moves Light up against it and kisses him hard.

Light's arms wrap around him immediately and kisses him back with just as much fervor, rubbing himself up against L, making L shudder. He moves away from Light's delicious mouth long enough to pull off his shirt and Light seemed happy to help. He absolutely loved the moan that Light can't hold back when he runs his tongue over a nipple which hardens instantly under his touch.

The taste of Light Yagami was ever addicting and he couldn't ever get enough...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She cries out, shuddering against him and he lets out a groan as he releases inside her. She was so warm and so tight, unlike any woman he had ever been with before. And she belonged to _him_.

Kira had failed her, which meant that Kira no longer deserved to be God, and he would show her what being a true God was all about; he would show _everyone_ what Kira was and was supposed to be.

"Teru..." She says softly.

He slips out of her and holds her close. Kira may have failed her, but he wouldn't; she was his precious new thing and he wouldn't fail her, just like he wouldn't fail the world.

It was time to make plans, many plans; the world would become the utopian society it deserved to be (and _would_ be). He would become its God and he would make his Misa the Goddess, like she deserved to be.

Kira, no...Light Yagami...

Light Yagami _and_ L would never know what hit them.

 


	15. Final Confrontation

_Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. —Søren Kierkegaard_

He grins as the footage that showed him the indeniable proof he was hoping to find; Naomi Misora in the company of one Light Yagami. It was inside of the NPA on the last day that Naomi Misora had been seen; they had their backs to the camera and there was no audio, but it was proof and it was a start. He was alone in the room for the moment as Rester and Lidner were off gathering more intel and Gevanni was busy tailing Mikami.

Piles of videotapes and DVD's littered the floor around him, mixed with many toys that also littered the room. Every single one of the screens were on and were showing different footage; he was watching them all.

Screen-watching was a developed skill he had honed early on when he, and his teachers, noticed that he was good at holding attention on many things at once, even if it looked like he wasn't always paying attention and/or interested.

The footage in front of him that showed Light Yagami and Naomi Misora was a powerful tool and one which provided a powerful insight into what happened to her, and who had seen her last. He was just putting in a couple DVD's of security footage Rester had gained, which were in various locations around the NPA area; hopefully he would hit another jackpot soon...

He was just about to hit play on the screens after watching the new footage; which showed a brief glimpse of them in a couple of them, but there was nothing other than them walking and stopping for a brief moment before taking off again, when the door behind him opens and Gevanni steps in. Gevanni turns and sees Near looking at him; their eyes lock. It was an almost awkward moment, but thankfully for them both, they were both good at keeping things in check and the moment passed smoothly.

Near allows himself a small moment to remember the previous day ( _and_ night) that they had shared. It had been a blur of hands and mouths, of groans and sighs and shudders. Names were cried out and he had also allowed himself the small allowance of being held against the older man as the aftershocks of pleasure faded and he fell into sleep. It was wonderful for a first experience, and when he had told the agent just that a while afterwards, Gevanni had moaned and he had taken Near beneath him again.

All in all, he was kind of sore, but he figured that came with the territory and it had been well worth it, even if he _had_ missed some time when he could have worked on the case...

"How did the tailing of Mikami go?" Asked Near.

He wondered what he should call Gevanni now. Boyfriend? That seemed like too immature a word, even though Near knew that he himself was perhaps a bit younger than some might like, but he didn't care because he was smarter and more mature than many twice his age and older! Lover? He wasn't sure about calling him that; it almost seemed like a term that someone cheating on their spouse or significant other would say or something with the same equilvilancy...Still, lover was the closest thing his quick mind could think of and it didn't sound _that_ bad...

Gevanni seemed momentarily started when Near speaks and breaks their silent staring (non)contest.

"Quite useful." Said Gevanni, coming closer to Near. "Mikami is now in the company of one Misa Amane; the girl who was once seen in the company of one Light Yagami and accused of being the Second Kira. Did L say whether she was cleared as a suspect?"

Near shakes his head. "No. He only said that Light Yagami was, though as I said, he said different to Light when he and Light thought they were alone. It's possible that Light sent her there to have a way to get ahold of Mikami, but tell me what you saw and heard."

"They had left his residence together and were standing outside the building when he kisses her and she runs off in one direction and he walks calmly down the other. Before they departed, I clearly heard the word 'Rem' and he passed something to her in an envelope. There was no writing on it that I could see and nothing else occurred on my end." He hesitated. "...However...I _did_ come across something else that has turned up some information on things. I know you just asked me to tail Mikami because I couldn't tail Light Yagami as he had not come out of L's building yet and Mikami might possibly be connected to Yagami somehow and could get something from that, but..."

"But?" Near raised a brow expectantly.

Gevanni just shakes his head, turning it and gestures to the hallway area he came from. A moment later, two figures come walking in and Near looks at them both.

"Near."

"Mello. Matt. And just what have you been doing with _your_ time?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mello smirks. This time he had the upper-hand. He and Matt had been watching Mikami _much_ longer and they had discovered his relationship with Misa Amane before Gevanni came skulking around, which meant that Near was running lower on options. He knew why though; Near was obviously gunning for Light Yagami, while he and Matt were focusing on Mikami.

With Mikami there was new info coming in at a steady rate as he was still an active figure in the whole Kira mess. Light, on the other hand, did _not_ seem to be active, if he had ever truly been the First Kira. Even if he _had_ been, he was not active now. (That was another plus that he and Matt had, as they were doing a lot of their work inside L's building and were hanging around L, Light and the detectives a lot longer than Near was.) When Mello had spent time around Light, even if it was just observing him (as well as L) and observing him _and_ L together, he seen something in Light and though everyone always fawned over Near for his abilities, his were just as sharp and he did not see Light Yagami as Kira.

And he was looking past that perfectionist act that he put on in front of other people (except for L when they were alone, or thought they were alone, apparently); he was looking past all of that, and seeing the inner Light Yagami. Slowly, a tiny bit, Light's perfectionist outside was starting to chip and crack, showing the young man underneath who was as sexy and damned brilliant as he was on the outside and had the ability to fall like everyone else.

Light Yagami had a hidden darkness, but it was one that was tamped down by reluctance to be taken over by that darkness again, it seemed (he seen Light's eyes shadow over sometimes, and he had managed to overhear a few things). It was a darkness that was also tamped down by Light's obvious feelings for L; the detectives were either just stupidly oblivious or were pretending to not notice for their own sakes.

 _I'm just fucking brilliant, is what I am._ Thought Mello with an inward smile. _And Matt is just as fucking brilliant; he managed to do all that screen-watching when my eyes couldn't stand looking at all the screens anymore and he managed to put some of the cameras and bugs in great places that should keep them from being discovered._

"A lot of things, Near." He grinned. "While you've been obsessing over Light, we've been focusing on the _active_ person, Mikami, and his little fuck-buddy Misa. Guess she didn't get Kira from Light and stumbled onto Mikami. We've learned some information, but I think it's only fair if you share yours as well; I'm not giving it away for free." His grin widens, and he leans against the wall.

Near twirls a piece of hair around his finger, small beeps in the room told of Matt's continuance on a handheld game and Gevanni was rather silent as this exchange between number one and number two of Wammy's House took place.

"Alright." Mello blinks. As simple as that? Near was willing to talk about all the information he had learned worked so hard to get, as simple as that? Apparently he was, for he sat there on the floor like he had been and reinterated all that he had told Gevanni, as well as what he had learned on his own and what he had learned through Gevanni, Rester and Lidner's actions.

By this time, Matt had turned off his game and was looking at Near intently as well. Mello was thinking to himself as Near finishes up speaking, but turns to the teen on the floor after a brief glance at the older man in the room, Gevanni, who he sees is staring at Near; the look in his eyes quite obvious to a trained observed such as Mello.

 _So Near's leading him around by the cock the same way Light is doing to L. Damn. Everybody seems to be so damned horny lately, it's like a epidemic,_ he thought with an inward chuckle. _Of course I can't really talk, because me and Matt have been going at it just as bad._

"...Thanks for the info," he finally says to Near, once it was obvious Near had nothing else to say and was staring at Mello in that intense way he did that seemed to pierce a person and see what was inside. Near was speaking more now in the time that they had been in Japan than Mello could ever remember Near speaking _period_ , or at least to him.

"We've been watching Mikami over the last few days, as he's who we are focusing on, even if you are focusing on Light," says Matt unexpectedly. They all turn to him and see him grabbing the seat that Gevanni was still standing by and sits in it, grabbing a cigarette from his vest pocket and lights one up. He takes a long drag before letting out a puff of smoke and continuing. "We've seen him and Misa Amane in many locations, mostly Mikami's place as that's where she had been staying mostly in for the past few days; it's just now that she too is becoming active and moving out in the world again. He's made her into the Second Kira again. I've seen him passing sheets of paper from a notebook, which has to definitely be a Death Note. He's given her the tools to be the Second Kira again."

"I heard Light and L talking last night in the workroom," continued Mello, crossing his arms. "Apparently little Whiny McBitch had some problem with Light or something; maybe she seen him and L fucking or something, I have no fucking idea on that, but either way, she hurried the hell out of the building and seemed to run into Mikami, because we hadn't seen him with Amane anywhere else before and then she suddenly shows up there. They're working together and carrying on the name of Kira 'in the way that Kira needs to be.'" He quoted.

"They aren't happy with Light Yagami's job as Kira?" Near asked.

"No, that's the thing Near that you haven't been getting," said Mello, uncrossing his arms and looking at Near intently. "They're mad because he _won't_ be Kira, that he's given it up, so they've said. And I'm inclined to believe them, because I've watched Light closer than you have, in the ways that matter. He might have fucking been Kira once, but he isn't now and catching him isn't going to solve the Kira problem. I've heard them; they're _pissed_ at Light, they're not working with him. They want him fucking _dead_ and you going all out on catching him is just going to backfire on catching those that _are_ working to fuck the world all the hell."

"And you don't think that Light Yagami having been Kira is not a crime?" Said Gevanni, speaking finally. "He may not be now, but he still did and that's still a crime."

Mello turns his eyes on the F.B.I agent and narrows them as he looks at him.

"Yeah, he may have been, but that isn't important to me now." He said. "I don't care what the hell he did in the past, because that isn't him anymore and him doing that led to this moment _now._ I'm more concerned about getting rid of those who are doing the killings now than killings done in the past. I know there were F.B.I agents involved early on and they died and shit, but that shit's got nothing to do with me and it isn't why _I_ do things. I do things to be the best, to prove that _I_ am the best," His eyes turn to Near. "And I will. Kira will get me the recognition that I deserve; I'm just as fucking intelligent as you and I work twice as hard. I am going to be the one to catch Kira, or Kiras, _me_."

"We don't have a problem working together from here though," said Matt. "Because Mikami and Misa are becoming a problem that is quickly escalating. And the more intel we can do together, the better likelyhood that we'll capture them sooner, and before L. I don't know, maybe I want to impress him too, a little...in the very least, we need to capture them before they do anymore serious damage."

As if by word, as soon as those words are spoken, one of the screens suddenly has screams coming from it. They all turn to the screen and Gevanni, being closer, quickly turns up the volume and switches many of the screens to the same channel.

"We have just received reports of the deaths of the president of the United States and his vice president. There was a message sent here to Sakura TV courtesy of Kira, here is the message," A warped voice suddenly plays on the screen with the name Kira on it. " 'Such a ruthless leader and a spineless man under him. Neither have shown Kira any loyalty and they have done many things to bring shame upon a country and let it continue to slide into a degraded state. They deserved to die and many more will be coming if you do not start repenting now; name your loyalty publically to Kira, your God, and those that are clean and pure will be saved. Those undeserving shall die in the most horrible ways imaginable. I do not need to explain how that president and vice president were killed, the pictures speak for themselves, and you shall find that their wives will be found in the same way in exactly two minutes after this broadcast ends. Kira is divine judgement; he is retrobution; he will wipe away your sins with the sweet release of Death. Speak your loyalty to your God; I await you.'"

The broadcast ends and they all turn to each other.

Mello said it all; "Well, shit."

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 _I cannot allow this to go further._ He thought. _I will have to go into capture mode soon and catch him. He cannot be allowed to continue this, especially with Amane at his side._ _That is what Rem said..._

His head swivels over to where Light was talking quietly to Rem, Rem who looked completely different now, and another Shinigami named Ryuk. Lawliet had sent the other detectives to run some necessary errands. He walks over, taking care to walk softly so they weren't distracted by his footsteps, hoping to hear something, and straining his ears to see what he could hear.

"...look the same," was the first thing he caught, from Light. "...punished...then?"

As soon as he comes close enough to where he knew he would be heard anyway, he takes his next step extra hard to get their attention and they all turn towards him.

"Rem-san I know of because she was haunting Higuchi before he died," said L. "What about you, Ryuk-san? Where do you come into this? I imagine that this was not the face you used to have; you look remarkably like Teru Mikami."

He did too, though he was wearing leather clothes that Mello would probably salivate over and he held himself differently, not just the way he could contort his body in ways a human never could, but also because he seemed to see the humorous side more than the serious side that the real Mikami did. He was also taller and thinner as well and he had a strange affinity for apples. That was all he really knew so far. That, and the fact, that it seemed as if Light and Ryuk knew each other already, though neither of them said anything of the sort, of course.

He supposed it made sense; he knew that Light had been the First Kira, had been doing all he could to make Mikami into the First Kira to protect Light, had egged Mikami on in the media, had called him out the past few days and said things with the intention to make Mikami reach the state of egotism and insanity so he would make that _one_ mistake and Lawliet could capture him.

It was all a waiting game now, and it would be soon...

"The Shinigami realm is boring," said Ryuk with a shrug. "Gods of Death have nothing to do and I seen all what was going down here and it looked _much_ more interesting."

He didn't believe that was the only thing, _knew_ that wasn't the only thing, as much as he knew that _they_ knew that _he_ knew that wasn't the only thing. He bites on his thumbnail.

"Were you punished the same as Rem-san was, Ryuk-san? And what was it you did that caused this _...punishment_?"

It was startling to see wings suddenly ripple from what looked like Mikami's body. Ryuk was surprisingly silent; the Reaper never seemed to not have something to say.

Sudden screams on the screens alert them to the Sakura TVs program and they too hear Kira's message as Near, Matt, Mello and Gevanni did, though none of them knew this. As soon as the program was over, Rem turns to look at Light.

"Light Yagami, this is why I came to you, risking further punishment from the Shinigami King for not staying close enough to Mikami; I cannot see Misa like this anymore. I cannot see this person she has become, she is much different than the sweet girl I knew, even with...Mikami is a brutal, vicious and violent person. There are deaths that have yet to be sent out to your news stations, but they are just as brutal and some are worse. And she is taking part in these, he is letting her use the Death Note and I fear that it, along with his crazed mind, is doing severe harm to her. It..."

She stops and looks over at Lawliet who was looking at them all intently. After a long stare into L's wide black eyes, she turns to Light who looks at the exchange with furrowed brows.

"Light Yagami," she said. "You need to tell him everything."

Tell him... _Tell him?!_ His eyes widen and he holds himself back hard, to keep from letting out a gasp. Tell Lawliet everything? _Everything?_ Was Rem crazy or what? He couldn't do that! He...he trusted Lawliet. He did. But, there was the point when even trust would get stretched so thin that it would break. He had longed for a long while now to get it all off his chest and come clean, but how could he?

"Light-kun?" He turns to look at L directly. This person was whom he loved, the person he trusted. His equal. They were opposite sides of the same coin and Light knew that he would never find a person who could even compare to L Lawliet. But he couldn't gauge L's reaction for something as big as this; to confess to _everything_...

He takes in a deep breath and lets it out, trying to prepare himself; for truth or for another lie, he wasn't sure, but...

"Light-kun, I know that you're Kira," said L. "I _know_. I know that I died and I saw your _former_ face, the face of Kira, and that I...came back somehow. And I saw your face then; and I knew that I never had to worry if I was looking at Kira when I looked at you, or Light Yagami. Not ever again."

Light's eyes had widened throughout this and he gulps slightly. He takes in a long breath, closing his eyes before letting out a breath and opening them.

"I was at school," he started. "And I spotted something on the ground--"

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"You think this is still a good idea, Mel?"

"Hell yes. I want to catch that bastard Mikami and that bitch Amane as soon as possible. I don't know, I'm just restless, I guess...but I feel like something's coming, or going to happen, something like that. And I want to be there when it does so _I_ can capture them when the time comes."

"Hmm..."

He looks over at Matt, who was sitting in the passenger seat. They were parked and waiting for Near to come in the other car with Gevanni and a rounded-up Rester and Lidner; everyone was ready to get rid of Mikami and Amane (though Near still seemed a bit miffed that everyone else was focusing so much on this, with Mikami, and not Light Yagami, and had managed to persuade him to come.)

After a couple of minutes, the inconspicuous black car that held Near and the others arrives and Mello hits the button that opens the door to let them inside. He opens the car door and steps out, Matt opening his a moment later. He taps his foot impatiently while Rester and Lidner step out, both silent, but filled with a quiet strength that Mello knew he wouldn't underestimate; Near wouldn't choose slackers or those he thought were weak to be apart of his group, especially when it came to his own protection. Gevanni steps out as well and pushes the door back for Near to sidle out of the car, hands full with toys.

Mello snickers. Everyone turns to him and he just smirks further.

"I didn't realize you were the type who liked the old school, Near--door being held out for you and all. I wonder what _else_ Gevanni does when your alone--"

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They had been quite active the past few days, but it was what was necessary; it was getting the message across to Kira and to the world at large. No...Light Yagami. Light could no longer be called Kira; he had given that up when he became a fool and gave his all to L, the enemy.

So let's see...another message perhaps...but...just what should be said? Done?

"I want to see them," he murmured. Misa looks up from the magazine she was half-heartedly flipping through. "I want to see Light Yagami and L. I want to kill them; I want to see their blood flowing down, down...the last deaths that will do beautiful justice and serve our purpose."

Misa frowns a bit, her pretty face darkening slightly. "I know what you mean. It's like an itch that you can never reach, but remember Mika-kun, that they have others with them; at least that Mello, Matt and Near that I know of. I don't know if there was anyone else. Near seemed to be gone more than Mello and Matt, so it's possible that he might have talked to someone or something, I don't know..."

He ponders this fact and thinks hard for a few moments. He scarcely noticed that Rem hadn't been around in awhile, and Misa hadn't commented on it, so he imagined it was all right.

"I think it might be time to call them out into the open, and see if they decide to show themselves. If we can find something to take from them that would _make_ them come out." He slowly starts to smile. "Or some _one_ perhaps?"

He smiles.

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He frowns.

"I don't know, Light-kun. With everything that is happening, I would prefer it if you--"

"Is it because of everything I told you?" Light said angrily. "Do you think I plan to run off to Mikami and Misa or something?"

"No!" Retorted L, just as angrily. "But I worry about _you_. What you told me wasn't anymore than I didn't already know--other than certain details--I _knew_ you were Kira all along, and even when I had concrete proof, I didn't do what you thought I would do."

"We know their names," bit out Light. "And we know Misa's face and I can go and see Mikami's as well. I can call them out and they'll come; it's not a matter of arrogance; they want to see me dead, so of course they'll come out. Especially when they see that I'm alone."

"Exactly! They _want you dead._ I will not have you go alone to face a psychopath and his psychopath in training. I won't allow it!"

"So here we go! L demanding everything! L always having had everything handed to him on a fucking platter! Well, I don't need it and I don't answer to _you_!"

L closes his eyes briefly before looking back at Light who was glaring as strongly at him as he could remember, but this time, no glare from Kira invaded those eyes.

"I don't care what you want or don't want. I don't care who or what you _don't_ answer to, but I will not have you go on a suicide mission and die!"

"It's not your choice to make! I started this mess and I have to finish it!"

"That's what this is about? You have ceased to be responsible for it, Light-kun; Mikami's actions and Misa's actions, are their own. Their sins are not yours to bear."

"That's easy for you to say, L Lawliet," Light snarls, saying L's full name; a name which L knew that Light knew of now. "You've never had to deal with anything on any real level; not like this. You've never felt the stain of blood never shed from many deaths, you've never felt the sickness that slowly creeps inside you with every letter you write down. You've never felt what's it's like to murder!"

He sees the fist coming but only manages to turn his face slightly, taking most of the blow and stumbling back slightly. It had been a long time since they had resorted to these measures, and he felt something inside him warm despite himself. He responds with a spinning kick that sends Light sprawling backwards into a chair which tips over and skids away.

"I don't know what it's like?" He murmured as he neared Light. Light wipes his mouth as he starts to stand and looks at L warily. "I don't know what it's like to murder someone when I send detectives out day after day when their lives can be taken in an instant? I don't know what it's like to murder, when I've sent out a whole police force only to see them slaughtered right in front of my eyes on a screen? I don't know what it's like to murder when I've been in countries that have civil war that is neverending, to see children little older than infants carrying around knives and guns, stabbing and shooting each other? To have seen mothers killing their children, to see father's killing their families. To have to close my eyes to the sufferings of many to protect the lives of all. I become blind to their suffering, deaf to their cries and my voice is left silent. My hands are just as stained as yours Light-kun; you are more innocent in ways that I can never be again. My hands will forever be stained red."

"Lawliet--" said Light, softly.

Light punches him.

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The sounds of grunts and smacks were clearly heard and there were quite a few raised eyebrows. As they start to enter the room, the sight in front of them shocked a few of them. Tables were overturned, chairs tossed every which way, paper scattered everywhere and two people who seemed to be going all out on each other.

Light, who was sitting up on L's lap, was attempting to punch the detective, when L uses extra force on his feet and kicks Light off of him onto the ground in front of him. Both of them were breathing loudly and both had blood dribbling on the sides of their mouths.

"What the hell--?" Muttered Rester.

The detectives had arrived back a minute or two after Mello and co had, and none of them were even batting an eye at the antics of L and Light.

"They do this sometime," explained Matsuda. "It's best just to let them get it out of their systems."

Near's SPK team looked at him like he was crazy, but when Matsuda said that, everyone else literally went about other business, ignoring the punches and kicks from L and Light. Mogi had even made everyone coffee, moving around in his silent manner, with about ten minutes having past by now and L and Light seemed to _finally_ get it out of their systems; they were even sitting next to each other and talking as if nothing happened!

"...You're really that set on me not going?"

"It would be foolish, Light-kun; there is no need for that when we can get the required result from a different plan entirely."

Light was silent for a moment. "..."

"...Alright." Light finally said. And without any hesitation, he kisses L straight on the mouth.

The Chief of the NPA, who also happened to be Light's father, spit out his coffee, as did a few others; it seems that _this_ wasn't expected in the detectives' minds. Mello smirks and, after adding a bit of another drink from a flask he takes out of his rather tight pants pocket into his coffee, takes a drink of the coffee.

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She scurried to get the new tape from Kira up and ready by the next news broadcast. She was not for Kira, but she would never let that be known to anyone; she would play the tape, even if it resulted in the deaths of others, because it protected her, because she did as she was told to do.

She felt a bit sorry for whoever might get it next, but was too worried about her own skin to really worry about it.

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"I think that it is time that Kira is sent a message. A final one. This is zero hour; the time for confrontation is at hand," said L, sitting crouched as he always did in one of the chairs that had been cleaned up along with the room by Near's people (who he had to admit were pretty good in their own right--Near had chosen well) and the detectives.

"I promised you I would give you Kira's head on a platter, and I intend to deliver. This is only one option, and I am not forcing you into this; this _is_ a dangerous mission and I will not ask you do something that you do not wish to do, nor would I think it cowardice to back out of this. I only ask for those who are absolutely sure, once and for all, that they are ready to lay everything on the line in hopes of stopping a great evil completely."

Light didn't hesitate. "You know I'm not going anywhere, L." He murmured.

Mello didn't hesitate either. "And you know that I have your back--I not about to turn tail and run like a little pansy, not when I'm, _we're,_ this close to victory."

Matt nods his agreement silently, as does Near.

"Wherever Near goes, I follow," said Gevanni, quietly, standing by Near.

Rester and Lidner nod as well.

The detectives all turn toward L.

"Ryuuzaki," started Soichiro. "All of us detectives still working this case, me, Aizawa, Mogi, and Matsuda have sacrificed so much to see Kira put to ground for good. We have agreed to risk our lives, because we all know that to sacrifice our own lives for the sake of all others might be a necessary sacrifice. There has never been another option for me; I'm staying."

"I haven't always agreed with your methods," said Aizawa. "But I know that you're a good man and I am doing this not just for myself and my family, but for Ukita and all those who have lost their lives to a psychopathic killer. I'm staying."

Mogi didn't have to say anything, the look in his eyes along with his solemn nod said everything that needed to be said.

"I'm in, Ryuuzaki!" Said Matsuda, in that ever energetic manner of his. "I can't miss something as big as this!"

Light comes to stand by L, who stands up and takes in all who were there and staring at him, ready for him to make a decision.

"Let's begin."

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He loads the chamber into the gun; knowing that it was always good to carry a back-up plan, just in case. He waits impatiently for Misa to finish gathering up all the scattered Death Note pages and burn them, it was all right as the pages of the actual Note never ran out, and he didn't want to leave any stray evidence.

He puts the gun up, making sure the safety was on, and once Misa is finally ready, he heads out the door, with Misa following him.

Behind them, a television is still blaring, "There you have it! L himself has sent a message to Kira, with his own actual voice, right here on Sakura TV! We are playing it again right now for you!"

'Kira...as well as the Second Kira I know is with you, here this; Your reign of tyranny ends today...or I will fall and you will rise up as you so wish. I will be awaiting you at the Nobayaki Bridge at 7:00 p.m. I will be there and I will only be accompanied by one other person, who is not a detective or bodyguard of any sort; I am not lying and you will know the truth, because the Second Kira is aware of my identity and the Second Kira will also know this person. I await you there; let us begin our final round of cat and mouse.'

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"They just left the building," whispered Lidner. She, Rester and Mogi had been watching over Mikami's apartment. "Should we tail at a safe distance?"

"No, wait until they are out of sight then go; make sure there is a good interval from the time they left from the time you leave."

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It was just him and one other person, like he had said it would be.

He turns to Misa for affirmation of the identities, for he could not see the names yet because their faces were still a bit out of reach to see, and gets a nod in return.

"It's them, Ryuuzaki--L, and Light," her face twists in disgust.

It starts to slowly drizzle as they approach and their names became all too clear to both of their Eyes; L Lawliet and Light Yagami.

"It's good to see the faces of both those who have done so much injustice for the world." Said L, hands in his pockets. "It makes it worth it to show mine."

Both were unarmed and neither of them had a notebook or pen anywhere in sight, a plus.

"Nice that it'll be the last thing you'll see." He replies, with a small smile. He starts to remove the gun and point it at L.

"Now!" Yelled Light suddenly.

A sudden gunshot from his right side goes off, hitting his hand and dropping the gun. He lets out a groan of pain and clutches his now bloody hand. "Mika-kun!" Exclaimed Misa.

And just like that, there out of the few hidden places on the bridge, people were coming out of the woodwork, all coming to surround L and Light.

"You bastard," growled Mikami.

L smiles grimly. "I didn't lie, I said that I would just be accompanied with someone, Light-kun, and I was; I never said that others wouldn't follow if they so choose; they're all here because they _chose_ to be here."

He moves away from the idiot detectives, still clutching his hand, when Misa steps up towards them, shaking.

"I hate you, Ryuuzaki!" She glares hard at him. "You took my Light away! But in return I've gained Mika-kun, who is a hundred times better than either of you! _He_ is Kira and I _am_ the Second Kira." She pulls out a pen, unheeding Mikami's sudden exclamation and everything else. "Your deaths will be absolution--"

_Bang._

Mello's shot was true and struck her in the hand like Matt's had hit Mikami's.

She cries out in pain and gasps when she sees who was standing next to L and Light.

"Rem! Rem!" She cried. "What are you doing? Why have you abandoned me? Rem!"

Rem looked stricken. "For your own good, Misa. You have become something unclean and ugly; I could not stand by any longer and see you continue to degrade yourself. I am sorry, Misa."

Mikami had been awfully silent during this whole exchange, and Light looks over to him instead of the crying Misa. He gives a gasp when he notices how Mikami was moving; it was a gesture Light could easily identify.

"He's writing in the Death Note!" Before anyone else could say anything else, the sounds of many gunshots were going off and Misa cries out as the bullets all hit her body. She stumbles backwards and bumps into Mikami who lets out a gasp and in an instant, they both fall over the bridge and into the violent and torrential depths below.

Silence.

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"You know that he is Kira, L," said Near quietly, a piece of hair wrapped around a finger; his own defensive mechanism, like L had his thumb biting and other strange mannerisms. L looks at him, blinking his wide black eyes. "I know that you know; just like I know that he is; I've gained proof."

"He was, Near-kun," murmured L. " _Was_. Kira has not been an intimate part of his being for a long while now; he's given up the shackles of such a demanding and twisted presence and I have watched him every step of the way to make sure that he is being sincere. I believe 100 percent that he will stay this way and will never turn to Kira again."

"You're not just letting your feelings for Light Yagami get the best of you?"

"Do you really think that they could? No, even though I _do_ feel for Light--love him--I would not hesitate to bring him down if he chose willingly to become Kira-- _especially_ because I love him. I believe I understand why you started with Light when Mello and Matt were working on catching Mikami; because you like to know things from their beginnings like I do, to figure out what they mean from every side until there is no unknown left. We are alike in many ways. You wanted to know everything from the beginning, and that also meant working to catch the Very First Kira, which used to be Light, but he has since given that up and I have done all I can this past while to make Mikami _into_ the First Kira, into what Light used to be and I have succeeded. None other than myself, Light, yourself and Mello and Matt really know otherwise."

"...It will remain that way, if you're sure."

"I am. I would never settle myself down to 100 percent if I were not _absolutely_ certain, Near-kun. And you will like Light, I think--as will Mello and Matt--for he is a absolutely brilliant mind and will _always_ keep you on your toes; it makes things forever interesting."

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"It's all over now," he murmured. "All the Kiras have been taken care of, so it's up to you all left over to decide what you want to do. I have already decided to remain here for now, but what you wish to do is up to you."

The detectives had done clean up with the help of the rest of the police force (and were all at HQ right now), now that Kira was eradicated, the police were fully cooperative, but no traces of Misa or Mikami had been found as of yet. And L announced to the world that Kira case was closed for good, as both the First Kira and the Second Kira had drowned when they fell off the bridge into the depths below.

Rem, stricken with Misa's death, soon after left to go back to the Shinigami realm. Ryuk was still hanging around, however, and was currently sitting in a corner and munching on some apples.

"Where the hell else would I want to go?" Said Mello. "If you still want me, I want to work cases with you...and learn new shit and...shit."

"Me too," said Matt. "Would we be getting paid though? Cause I'm running low on funds. Cigarettes and the new Final Fantasy don't come cheap--"

"I am staying as well," said Near, twirling a piece of hair in his fingers. He looks at his SPK. "All of you are more than welcome to go back to your regular duties in the F.B.I, and thank you for all you have done."

"Yeah, I need to get back; my wife's probably worried sick about me." Said Rester and he was off just like that.

Lidner too went off, after a quick goodbye to everyone, silent but a powerful presense as always.

"Wherever Near goes, I follow," said Gevanni, repeating the statement he had made much earlier. He kisses Near on the forehead and sat close to him. "So I guess you've got another member of your ragtag--yet extremely effective--group. I like to stay close to where the action is."

"And you definitely will, since you're around Near all the time, right?" Sniggered Mello.

Matt elbows him and rolls his eyes.

Light turns to L.

"And you know where I stand. You've cleared me in every way, and you've shown me a lot of things that I never expected to see; even more than Shinigami. And you...know how I feel and all..." He decides to shut himself up by kissing L.

Mello whistles, Matt shrugs but looks on anyway, Near looks on interestingly and Gevanni was trying not to blush.

"Oh yeah, Light?" Said Ryuk suddenly.

Light and L pull away, both looking flushed, and look at Ryuk.

"About our little deal?" He grins. "Consider it waived; I'm going to go catch Rem and... _calm_ her down...see you crazy ass humans later!"

He disappears.

Light glances over at their new little group, then at L.

"You know I have a feeling that things aren't going to be so damned boring for a long while," stated Light.

L looks up at him with his wide eyes, flushed cheeks and oh-so-kissable mouth--

"And that is a problem, Light-kun?"

"Not at all, L-kun," he said, kissing him again. "Not at all."

_The End_

 


End file.
